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Ok Patriot Woodworker's,how'd yall do! What did Santa bring you and your shop! We had a pretty mellow Christmas this year, mama and me promised each other we'd not exchange gifts, but we did manage a couple nice ones for our kids. An Ipod 5h Gen for our youngest girl along with some books she wanted. Then we got a set of books that our oldest girl wanted, she loves the Bill O'reilly series of killing books, Killing Lincoln, Killing Patton etc. So we set her up with those and she wanted some books by William Buckley and a hand full of other books. So now she can go to school armed to the teeth for debates. Our boy scored some nice clothes and books. All went well, and we had a great time all the while not losing sight of the reason for the season. I have the greatest gift in the world, a healthy family (but for me, dealing with this incredible cough and flu!), and you guys! Thank you Patriot Woodworkers and staff for being here, and helping and contributing to our community. Let us not forget those who have served our country and paid the ultimate price, and let us not forget those families who are putting out a place mat at the table tonight for their deployed soldier or lost loved one. So, how about you all, any cool tools or machines that ended up under the tree this year?
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Well... The Old Jail pen making project is in full swing! A very large box of pen making supplies arrived and was brought to the basement shop. We spent last Thursday evening gluing tubes into place. Didn't get all 100 glued up- even with the fans running, the fumes were getting to a toxic level. From this point, we split the work. The "boss" took this box back to his shop for trimming and turning. He doesn't have a sander so I lent him my barrel trimmer. After the glue dried (thick CA), I set up my sanding station and trimmed the blanks. Each blank set was numbered and a grain alignment mark placed on the outside when the blanks were originally cut. That number and alignment mark will be lost during the turning process. To keep everything in sets, and aligned, additional precautions need to be taken. The alignment marks are transferred to the edge and inside of the blanks. The number is added to the piece of tape that keeps each set together. The turning and sanding process is very straight forward. The pine is extremely soft so a light touch is required along with a sharp gouge. I ended up re-touching up the gouge about every third set of blanks. Used a diamond honing stick. Although the skew chisel left a smoother surface, it caused more tear out at the ends near the bushings. So I opted to do all of the turning with this gouge. Turned to shape- Looks pretty rough but the pine is so soft, sanding was a breeze! 100, 120, 150, and 180- while the lathe/blank was spinning. Then turned off the lathe and sanded with the grain using 180, 220, 320. The powered back up and sanded with Abralon pads 350, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 grits. Finally, burnishing with turning shavings while the lathe was spinning. This is what I had finished on Tuesday morning. Right now, I'm up to 30 sets turned and waiting on the CA to really harden on my last 18 sets. Once they are trimmed/turned/sanded it will be on to finishing. More next week! Safe Turning!!
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Been working at school this week getting computers ready for the kids so no lathe work for me. I did help a friend finish up a cork screw handle by drilling the hole for the metal "screw" to fit into the handle. He turned the handle into a shape that sort of resembled a football. Once turned, it was quite a job to hold the piece level and square for drilling. The instructions suggested a "V" block. That worked but it was still wobbly due to the lack of support on each end. We used little wedges to add support and the drilling went OK. It would have been better to predrill the blank, plug the hole, finish the shape and then remove the plug. We all know, experience is the best teacher! A couple of interesting things this week. A couple of informative articles came by emails and newsletters. First- from Popular Woodworking's Wood Turning division is an interesting paper on turning duplicate parts. Chuck Bender, Senior Editor, talks about using the skew chisel for spindle turning- we've all been there. But, what I found most interesting was his perspective on turning duplicate parts and how, in antique furniture, "duplicate" parts are not in fact usually duplicates. Here are is the information from the email- with full credit to Mr. Bender. Sorry, I would usually provide you with a link but there was none. "One of my favorite projects from "No BS Woodworking" is the English joint stool. It's a fun project that is fairly easy to build and it's a great place to showcase some nicely figured wood. The project is based on a period example that came into my shop for repair. Compound angles can often drive woodworkers crazy, but they're actually fairly simple on this piece. Only having to deal with four stretchers means that if the angles are off a little on one joint or another, the piece will still look good. Another sticking point for many woodworkers is turning - it just plain intimidates some people. I know when I started woodworking it seemed like I'd never get the hang of a skew. The legs on this piece are not exceedingly complex, and can be accomplished without mad skew skills. The hardest part is turning the pummels (the transitions between the square stock and the round bits). The other thing that worries lots of woodworkers is being able to turn out four identical legs on the lathe. There are a few tricks you need to learn that will make this obstacle far less of a barrier. The first trick isn't really a trick, but a process I use in most things I build (whether they include turnings or not) and that's a layout stick. With a full-sized layout of the turning, it's easy to ensure all the elements of the legs are at the proper height. "Sure, getting the height of the elements correct is easy; it's the diameters that give me fits." you say? The biggest piece of advice I can give to the budding spindle turner is, make it close. I've studied, and copied, period tables where the turnings varied as much as 1/4" in diameter from leg to leg - and I couldn't tell before I measured. Am I advocating sloppy work? Not at all, but you don't have to worry the diameters to the nearest thousandth of an inch either. Besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve (not many since I always wear short sleeves) that can help you master the simply turned legs on this stool. Spindle turning takes a little practice, but nearly every woodworker I've had the pleasure of instructing is capable of banging out a bunch of legs for this project that would be more than acceptable. The key is not obsessing on the details. The original upon which I based my stool varied quite a bit from leg to leg; there was also uneven wear and shrinkage. My version isn't free from flaws either. To me, that's what gives pieces their character. I don't want my stuff to look like it was punched out on an assembly line. Grab a copy of the DVD (or hit the store for the digital download - both can be found by clicking on this link), gather up some wood and get started building an English Joint Stool in your own shop. In the DVD I run through how to use a skew; some basic spindle turning exercises; how to turn multiple parts and make them look the same; compound angle joinery; and coloring and finishing your projects. There's more than three hours of instruction on this video plus plans and a cut list. With the turning and joinery tips you'll get, you should be able to make and English joint stool of your own over a long weekend (3 or 4 days depending on how quickly you can turn the legs)." The other great resource was Woodturning On Line's newsletter. If you ever wanted to make one of these- You can learn how with this video- Or how about one of these- Here's a video on that- Here's a link to the photo tutorial- http://www.demilked.com/coloured-pencils-ring-design-peter-brown/ The entire August newsletter can be read here- http://www.woodturningonline.com/index.php Safe Turning!!
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Been a busy week in the shop but not too much wood turning. A friend asked if I would show/sell some stuff at his church's event. Seems they are looking for some vendors to attract folks to the event. I have never done anything like this but if it helps his church, I'm game. My biggest problem- as with most hobby woodworkers- is fairly pricing my stuff. Anyway, I've made some small (5 x 7) laminated cheese board. Have some bottle stoppers and of course the old standby- rolling pins. I needed to make some more rolling pin wall holders so that's where I'm at now. Lots of neat stuff for Turners arrived this week- so @Cliff- listen up!!! First, I've read from several sources, that Woodturning Design magazine will cease to exist. The parent company, All American Crafts, declared bankruptcy a week or so ago. I checked their site and it is still up, but if you were thinking of subscribing, maybe you should hold off a bit. Next, David Reed Smith posted a really neat project on turning earrings. As with all his post, he goes into great detail on making jigs and the turning process. Here's the link to the complete article- http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/Earrings/Earrings.html If you have some younger children around, or you're just a big kid yourself, Tim Yoder shows us how to turn a "String Top Toy"- Easy Wood Tools has added another super tool to their turning arsenal. The Easy Parting Tool. This is sure to be a welcome addition to any turners collection of go to tools. Although I haven't personally had an opportunity to try this particular tool, I have used and own some of their other turning tools and they are second to none! Check it out here-Â http://www.easywoodtools.com/easy-parting-tool-products-page/ If you plan on turning acrylics (or dense wood), here's another option, instead of the micro mesh pads. A three part polishing system that seems to be receiving pretty good reviews. Dr. Kirk's Micro Magic Polishing Wax 3 Piece Set. Safe Turning!
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Good Monday Morning Patriot Woodworkers! April 24, 2017
John Morris posted a topic in General Woodworking
Good Monday Morning! We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and perhaps even a productive time in the shop! For now we need to ask that all important question of the week. What did ya get done over the weekend, and what have you planned for the week ahead? Anything is game, woodworking related, non-woodworking related. We are curious folks here, what have you on your plate? News Only weeks left before the big Easy Wood Tools raffle draw! So get your raffle tickets now, visit Fund Raising for Our Community and see how you can help keep our site live. We are grassroots, and our community runs on donations and sponsor support, if you like our community, if you have benefited from our community, if you use our community, if you are a guest and like visiting, please consider purchasing a raffle ticket to support the costs of running this wonderful slice of woodworking heaven. Visit our new Patriot Woodworker's in Action gallery, where you can see the beginning's of an image gallery showcasing our Patriot Woodworker's in volunteerism. Submit your images! From your work with Habitat for Humanity, to your local animal rescue, to your time volunteered with your VFW. All your volunteer projects are welcome. And, this is a great way for you to promote your favorite non-profit organization. Latest Forum Activity module replaced, please click on the proceeding link to find out more. Our American Flag took a vacation, please click on the proceeding link to find out more. Featured Gallery @Gerald's latest creations with Bradford Pear wood, is exquisite. Featured website Elia Bizzarri is a world class chair maker in the purest since, he has made special appearances on Roy Underhill and been interviewed by most well known publications. Elia takes a log, rives it, and takes it to a Windsor Chair, just like they did hundreds of years ago. All by hand. Visit Elia's website at http://handtoolwoodworking.com/. "Using traditional tools and techniques, Elia Bizzarri rives, hews, shaves, and turns elegant Windsor chairs in his workshop in central North Carolina. Known for the quality and elegance of his turning technique, his chairs reflect an integral understanding of the intrinsic qualities of maple, poplar, hickory, and oak." Source: http://handtoolwoodworking.com/about/ Featured topic @Waxing Moon making waves with his topic "What to do with drop off's" Featured image of the week By Zwarte handen (oude ambachten verhuur groep Zwarte Handen) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Kuiperij of Old Crafts Group Black Hands
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A little turning this week. I finally got a chance to finish a pen that was started in the spring. It is an older Woodcraft roller ball kit. The wood is Cocobolo and about 10 applications of BLO and CA. I didn't like the shiny finish so I added an application of Johnson's paste wax. This kit is very similar to the fountain pen kit. Which, someone liberated mine. As turners, we really seek the beauty found in spalted wood. The seemingly infinite patterns create turnings that begged to be touched. Well, now, with a little patience, you can make your own spalted wood. Unfortunately, the newsletter containing this information cannot be linked. It is from Popular Woodworking and was written by Alan Lacer, to whom I give full credit. You can sign up for the newsletter on their web site-Â http://www.popularwoodworking.com/. Here is a screenshot of the article. Tim Yoder has another video up. Make a garden "dibble". Looks like it will be a great gift for any gardener! Here is a link to the video- http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodturning Safe Turning!
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Well, all my pen blank sets have their CA finish and are ready for assembly. To prove I actually do work on the lathe, I made a little video of the process. It is edited to shorten the boredom and the audio is natural. The video shows the process I used to apply the CA and boiled linseed oil finish. A couple of things about the operation. We had considered using a wax finish on these blanks. We found the wood is so soft that just the pressure of applying the Hut PPP wax dented the blank. Even when applying the CA finish, a fingernail touching the surface would dent it. I ended up wearing gloves to help prevent the problem. So, without further ado and very little fanfare- Cecil B. DeKauffman presents..... Next time the assembled pens. EDIT: I forgot to add the link I used for information about this method- http://www.penmakersguild.com/articles/cafinish.pdf Safe Turning.
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It has been nonstop relatives for the past week and a half. The only lathe work I have been able to accomplish is helping a turner friend prepare some blanks for cheese knives and bottle stoppers. Here is a link to a recent video from Popular woodworking's Turning section. The video is helpful for us to understand the uses of the basic turning tools. For those of us who have a love/hate relationship with the skew, checkout around 14 minutes. Save Turning!
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Fate has been conspiring against me in keeping me away from the lathe BUT tomorrow we start the Old Jail Pens! All of the materials have arrived, the blanks have been cut and drilled. Tomorrow we will glue in the tubes And then the turning begins. In the mean time, the latest edition of the Woodturning On Line newsletter arrived. There is a nice article on what to check when buying a used lathe as well as several turning projects- on for the Mrs. and one for the kids. You can read the entire newsletter here-http://www.woodturningonline.com/index.php. Safe Turning!
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Dear Patriot Woodworker's and visitors. We are featuring videos we have found to represent the major wars in our nations history. Each day we'll feature a video that will honor each major war up through Memorial Day. The videos will be placed at the top center of our community site here on The Patriot Woodworker. We scour Youtube to find meaningful videos so that we may in some small way express our thanks, and honor those who have fallen. To those who have paid the ultimate price, we can never repay your sacrifice, but to only live as good and honorable as we can, and to give back to those veterans who are still fighting every day battles after the wars, under a moral obligation, we strive to give back, here, on The Patriot Woodworker. Meanwhile please consider giving back in a big way, please donate to Homes For Our Troops, help give back to those who have paid the price. Click on Homes For Our Troops to donate now.
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Friday, March 28th, What's on Your Patrtiot Woodworker Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
I know it just be me, but it seems like the time just flies by these days. Can you believe that here we are the last weekend of March, the end of the first quarter of this new year? Wow. Well for those of you in the North, the buttercups are up and it will be in the 70's here today. Time to get out the John Deere and ready it for mowing. But it is still a great time to get out in the shop and spend some time with the tools and wood and put together some nice projects. As it seems to be, I am always behind and this weekend is no different. I picked up a load of Rock Maple and with some Curly mixed in a couple of weeks ago. It has rained off and on and I just didn't want to get the donkeys out to haul it down to the Wood Stash in the mud. Yesterday evening after work, we did manage to get 1000 bd/ft in the building, stickered and stacked. Here are a couple of shots of the wood stash. And that is only part of the building. Enough to keep me busy this summer. This weekend I will be finishing up a couple of Shadow Boxes for a good friend. He has these two old Baseball Gloves that were his dad's when he played Baseball back in the early 1900's. I was asked to make him a couple of boxes to display them in his Man Cave. The Catches Mitt And the Fielders Glove. Quite different than the equipment they use today. So I got a couple of nice Oak boards ready to make the shadow boxes. Got them put together and a coat of stain on them. Then cut the top so I can get the glass installed today at lunch. Once I have the glass ready, I will sand it again to smooth out any imperfections and put another coat of stain on then spray a clear coat on both of them. After that, I have several other projects on the board so I will just have to see how far I get this weekend. So what about you other Patriot Woodworkers on here, what is on your Patriot Woodworker Agenda this weekend? Are you starting projects, still working on a previously started project, building jigs, cleaning up the shop, restoring any old equipment or tools, or just having a little Spring Fever and getting outside? We here at TPW love to see all of the projects you great woodworkers are doing and we love to see them in stages and learn how you do it. So come on please jump in here and reply to this post and show us what you are working on this weekend. You might just inspire someone else to realize they can do it also. So, I am waiting. Post those pictures and tell us what you are working on! -
Friday, March 21st, What's on Your Patriot Woodworker Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
Can you believe it? Spring is actually here. Yep, it arrived yesterday and it was a beautiful day here in North Alabama. Temps were in the mid 60's, not a cloud in the sky, I think I am feeling better already, well except now that things are blooming I can't breath. Oh well got to always have something. So we have a great weather weekend coming up and it will be a good time to get in some shop work. If it has been too cold for you then maybe you can now get out there and get some saw dust going on. It is also a good time to get out and start looking for some rust. Open air markets will start up soon and you will be able to find all kind of objects. I seem to just go from one project to another and believe me that is great and not a complaint. After shipping out the Cherry Blanket Chest I took a few evenings to slow down just a bit and clean up the shop. Seems I had every flat surface in the shop covered with something. So now things are cleaned up and put away in their spot ready for the next project. This weekend I will be working on several things. First off will be this 12" x 12" laminated table top. I have a metal frame in the shop of a customer that wants this to just sit down in. So I got it glued last night and should be ready to finish off early in the morning and cut to size and ready for pickup. It is made like some of my cutting boards so it was pretty straight forward. Next of the agenda for tomorrow is to get two White Oak shadow boxes cut out and glued together. I got the pieces cut and planned last night and will take them to final dimension tomorrow and them glue and clamp. I really hope to get those finished by the end of the day. I need to but out another batch of cutting boards to get ahead of my orders. In bringing in all of the old tools, yesterday was a great day when a package arrived from Woodcraft with a few new tools to add to the shop. I picked up a Wixie digital Angle Gauge. Wow can I tell you how sweet that thing is. As soon as I play with it a little I will give you a full write up on it. My digital calipers had gone on the blink and I literally mean blink. I would start to move them and the screen would change to mm then to inches and then to decimals and only half of the number would be visible. I changed the battery but didn't do much for it so it was time for a replacement. I really like the Wixie 6" digital calipers. Let me tell you one of the best feathers on both is the ability to change the battery without a tool. My Glue line blade was getting a little dull I think so while I had the chance I got a new one and will send to old one out and have it sharpened as a backup. Those were all given to me for my birthday by my wonderful wife. So what about the rest of you wonderful Patriot Woodworkers, what is on your agenda this weekend? Are you building a new project, continuing on an old project, cleaning out the shop for the spring, making jigs, and just sitting and watching March Madness on the TV(your bracket has already been busted)? We here at TPW love to see what you are doing in your shop and the projects you do may just inspire someone else to give it a try and hone their skills. So jump in here and share what you are working on and please post pictures. We love to see the projects and it gives such wonderful description of what you are doing. Okay, quit reading now and start posting! -
Friday, March 14th, What's on Your Patriot Woodworking Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
After a busy week, I think I will take a bit of time and just do some shop clean up and I have a trailer load of Maple that has to get stickered and stacked. Very little woodworking this weekend for me. Thank you all very much for the wonderful comments on the Cherry Blanket Chest project. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the commentary. It has been a fun project to do. Since I didn't do a throw back Thursday I will show you a little picking my wife and I didn't this past weekend. This is a nice very old Walnut Buffet. And then we got the table and Chairs to go with the buffet. The gentleman that owned this passed away and he estate was liquidated. His family was from France and settled in Penn. The table has the small wooden wheels on the bottom of the legs. There are two legs in the middle and it opens up to have two leaves. So what do you have on your Patriot Woodworking Agenda this weekend? Are you working on a project, starting a project, rebuilding or restoring an old tool, cleaning up the shop and just taking a relaxing weekend (what ever that is)? We love to see your projects and share them with each other. So please post pictures of your projects and tell us a little about what you are building. Plenty of room here, so post those pictures and lets see those projects. -
Friday, March 7th, What's on Your Patriot Woodworker Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
Thank goodness it is in the mid 60's here today, beautiful blue sky and not a cloud in site. First Friday starts tonight and will run the first Friday of each month till December. I have been in a bit of a push, but what else is new, to get things ready. Alas I have the boards done and ready to go. This is the last group I finished up Wednesday and put another coat of mineral oil on last night. I have another set that was completed a few weeks ago so I am ready to start. Still working on the Cherry Chest. I got the moldings made and ready to attach and put stain on this baby. This was after the first run through the router with the curved router bit. I just realized I didn't take a picture and the next two steps. I ran it through again with a round nose bit and took off the sharp edge on the left and then used a 1/2" round over on the top edge to give it a little more curve on the top. I will get another picture and post later showing the end of the trim. Here it is while I am checking the fit and look on the chest. You can probable see in the bottom trim the more round transition. So I will be finishing it out with stain and varnish this weekend and shipping it out next Friday. How about you, what is on Your Patriot Woodworking Agenda this weekend? Please share you project with us and post some pictures here so we can see and learn about what you are working on. We love to see those project in progress pictures as it helps many learn the steps and see that they too can make a piece once they see how it is done. So don't wait any longer, please post those projects and pictures so we can all share and brag on your work. -
Friday, Feb 28th, What's on Your Patriot Woodworker Woodworking Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
Last day of February and that has to mean that Spring is just around the corner. Hopefully we can see a few buds to tell us the snow and cold weather is about over. First Friday Arts & Crafts shows begin here next week so I have been pushing to get some inventory build back up from last year. Seems every year I have these great plans to be way ahead and something happens (knee surgery) gets in the way and slows me down. Oh well, we are getting there and should be in good shape by next Friday. Five Medium cutting boards are in the clamps and will come out tomorrow and five small cutting boards will go into the clamps then. It seems like I have every flat surface and any where I can lean a clamp against something is covered up. I even have them sitting on the table saw right now and I hate to do that. But we are getting there and that is what it takes. Tuesday night while I was out getting these boards ready, Sarge the four month old lab decided to come to the shop with me. For a while he picked up every piece of wood on the floor and would bring it to me. Finally I think it just wore him out, but he decided to take a nap at me feet while I was cutting the strips for the cutting boards. He usually doesn't care too much for the noise of the equipment but I think he just gave it up. Still working on the Cherry Blanket Chest in between other things and got the TV shelf delivered to my friend. So a few things have left the shop which is always a good thing. Tonight, Beth and I will be attending the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is located here but every year until this year, they held the banquet in another city. Finally it is coming home and several local musician are being honored along with the documentary on "Muscle Shoals" that was release last year and talks about the music heritage of this area and the impact it had on the music of the 60's and 70's. So what about the rest of you Patriot Woodworkers, what is on your agenda this weekend? Are you building anything new, making jigs, arranging the shop, or still digging out of the snow? We love to hear about the projects your are working on and love to see the pictures that go along with the projects you are currently building. So come on and share with us the project that have you making some sawdust in your shop. I'll be watching to see who has projects going on in their shop so get those pictures posted! -
Friday, Feb 21st, What's on Your Patriot Woodworker Agenda?
John Moody posted a topic in General Woodworking
One thing I have learned living in the South, if you don't like the weather, wait a couple of hours and it will change. Last week we had snow and freezing rain here, this week it is in the 70's and we had one of our first Sever Storms last night with 60 to 70 mile winds and today it is in the 70's and not a cloud in the sky. We have Butter Cups already breaking through and coming up. Seeing them reminded me of a song, "Build Me Up ButterCup". Anyone know who originally recorded it? I do just checking out the oldies from the 60's if you can remember them. LOL While you are looking that up. What's on your Patriot Woodworker Agenda this weekend? Here in my shop I am hard at working on the Cherry Chest. A little more sanding and I should get the box portion together Saturday and start on the bottom and top trim. I am way way way behind on this one so I have got to push this hard. I am not sure how this wood is going to do, but on my moisture meter which only goes to 6% I don't even get a reading when I put it on this Cherry. I am also trying to get ready for First Friday's Craft shows in Florence which begin the First Friday in March so I only have a couple of weeks. I have five large plus one in the house ready. Well these need to be branded and oiled but they are ready. And I have five more in the first glue up and they will make five medium and five small boards, so this is the first 15 boards of the year. I know you are going, I don't see five. Well they are sitting everywhere in the shop as I am working on too many projects at once again. Also got the first coat of black paint on the TV stand. It has been raining so much I couldn't spray paint this and I needed to be outside. Should get the underside today at lunch. So it has gone from this to the black but taken about two weeks. So I am getting there with all of this going on at the same time plus doing a little picking in between. So what about the rest of you Patriot Woodworkers, what are you working on this weekend, new projects, jigs, restoration of old tools, adding to the shop, rearranging the shop, cleaning the shop, or just laying around waiting on the spring to get going? We here at TPW love to see your projects and share what we are doing with you. So come on don't be bashful and post those projects here. It is fun to see them progress from the beginning to the end. I'm waiting, don't disappoint me, I want to see some projects with pictures this weekend. Get out in the shop and make some sawdust.
