After weeks of preparation, in just two short days, the annual woodworking show in Charlotte, MI, is over. Hosted by L.L. Johnson’s Lumber/ The Work Bench. www.theworkbench.com. The three huge tents that housed the tool displays and several demonstrations have been taken down and stored away for another year. If you missed this show then [...]
Author Archive
The Hardest Wood Known To Man?
September 17th, 2009 
TBDKeith The answer Lignum vitae: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignum_vitae It was used for the shaft bearings on the WWII submarine USS Pampanito (SS-383) were made of this wood.[2] The after main shaft strut bearings for USS Nautilus SSN-571; the world’s first nuclear powered submarine were composed of this wood. It was also used for medical [...]
Wood Expo 2009
September 9th, 2009 TBDKeith I have been getting ready for the 2009 Wood Expo in Charlotte, mi. It’s a two day event that is hosted by L.L. Johnson’s Lumber. www.theworkbench.com This year it is being held on Sept. 11th and 12th. It’s two days packed full of free demonstrations from tool manufactures to Scott Phillips of The American Woodshop. [...]
Woodworking Clubs
September 1st, 2009 TBDKeith With so many woodworking forums out there on the web, why should you join a local woodworking club? First, let me say that I am not in any way against forums. On the contrary, I belong to several which I visit almost every day and try to make a contribution whenever I can. As I [...]
Soft Maple Cabinet Finish
August 17th, 2009 TBDKeith I built this Soft Maple cabinet for a class that I am going to teach this fall. The design is simple so the students can focus on building the cabinet and not be distracted by a lot of design details. This post is about the finish. If you have ever worked with Soft Maple then [...]
Posted in Uncategorized 
Tags: cabinet dye, cabinet stain, lacquer, maple cabinet, wood dye, woodstain, woodworking finish 
No Comments »Drying Rack
August 4th, 2009 TBDKeith The challenge of storing your work while the finish dries has always been a big headache. Nothing is more aggravating than to apply a nice finish and then bump it or drag an air hose across your work, before the finish has had time to cure. I have used sawhorses and every flat surface in [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Tags: drying rack, finishing rack, shop organizer, space saver, storage challenge 4 Comments »Just 15 More Minutes
August 1st, 2009 TBDKeith A good friend called last night and suggested I write a blog about an article that I wrote in 1993 for the Mid-Michigan Woodworkers Guild. When I was young I was taught how to tell time. I thought that this task was quite simple, but I find even today I have trouble telling time. Actually [...]
Why Clean Your Shop?
July 25th, 2009 TBDKeith Why should you take away from your precious woodworking time to clean the shop? The obvious answer is safety. Woodworking is much safer without a lot of clutter and piles of saw dust everywhere. There is another reason and in some ways it’s just as important as having a clean, safe place to work. A [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Tags: cabinetmaker, clean shop, woodworking saftey, work shop safety, workshop organization 14 Comments »Mission Style Framed Mirror
July 21st, 2009 TBDKeith If you like mission style furniture and accessories, this framed mirror may be a project for you. This framed mirror was built using the pinned mortise and tenon method. A solid joint that is strong yet pleasant looking and having the rails slightly thinner than the stiles gives this frame a little more dimension. Making [...]
