Lately, I have been reading posts and woodworking blogs and there seems to be a lot of comments like, I am new to woodworking and the quality of my work is not very good, or it’s okay, but I am just learning; the quality is so-so but it’s a little better that my last project.
I [...]
Maple Cabinet for an Afghan
Oct 15
I made this maple cabinet for my wife, Sandy, to display an afghan that was made by her great-grandmother. The afghan is over 60 years old. It is starting to unravel in some spots, so we designed this cabinet for displaying the afghan and to protect it from further damage.
Sandy’s dad, Darwin, asked his grandmother [...]
This post is in response to a question I received on the woodworking site The Wood Whisperer http://community.thewoodwhisperer.com/
The question/challenge is how to cut the 22.5 degree angle for the top section of the table pictured below and have all eight pieces fit together.
There are two factors that influence how well the joint will fit. The [...]
There may be more than one way to build a bird house but for me this is the only way. Let me start with how these birds houses came to be. My granddaughter, Elizabeth, was in need of a new guitar so she could jam with her dad, Michael. The story goes like this, [...]
Balsa Wood
Sep 20
Balsa wood is the softest wood, easy to cut and shape with the simplest of hand tools. My first memories of Balsa wood are of the light airplanes with rubber band driven propellers, that we used to buy for a quarter back when I was a kid.
Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochroma_pyramidale
Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale, synonym O. lagopus) is a large, [...]
2009 Wood Expo Wrap-up
Sep 17
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 [...]
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 conditions:
“Lignum vitae” is [...]
Wood Expo 2009
Sep 9
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
Sep 1
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. [...]
Soft Maple Cabinet Finish
Aug 17
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 you [...]
