Blogs

I ran across an interview today of Phil Lowe on Fine Woodworking.com that became surprisingly controversial. Typical to most internet articles I run across, the comments afterward seem to take things to the extreme, hypothesizing attitudes and making statements about the person in question that were a far stretch from the actual article. But something about this one really frosted me. Not only did many of those responding to the article take Mr. Lowe's statements out of context, but also took to criticizing him for the way the author decided to spell "vise" - as if Phil had some influence on the way the article was spell checked. It was totally ridiculous. Now, I don't know Mr. Lowe personally, nor have I taken any classes he's taught. I did take the post-article firestorm personally, however, and for reasons you might not first think of.

Apparently, Mr. Lowe has a bit of an aversion to block planes. He believes - and I'm sure with some significant knowledge of his craft and the tools used - that block plane origins were primarily designed for carpenters to do light trimming on the job site. They were especially useful for when you only had one hand free, such as when standing on a ladder. He also feels that since the furniture maker has a bench and vise (or "vice", if the alternative spelling offends you) that a bench plane is better suited for the work they do because they can use both hands on the plane. It was stated that Mr. Lowe makes this point in his classes by insisting that if anyone wants to use a block plane in his class, then they should use it one handed while standing on a ladder. I know you can see the horror inherent, in such a teaching technique.

Now, you may think I'm full of sympathy for the poor students that must endure such block plane oppression. On the contrary, I feel sympathy for Mr. Lowe and am embarrassed for the internet woodworking community. Here you have a master craftsman and teacher being ridiculed by what is obviously a bunch of armchair, weekend woodworkers who think they know better. I personally use a block plane on occasion, but, I did see a video of Phil a few years ago showing him using a #4 smoother to flush up dovetails and dados in a fashion that many would use a block plane for. Well, I tried it out myself, and found that having the extra mass of a bench plane made the cuts I was attempting much easier and potentially more stable. It gave me a new perspective on how to use some of my planes and I was thankful for Phil's video. The same can be said for Frank Klausz's "3 minute dovetail" video where he bangs out some decent, workable dovetails quickly with two rather large frame saws. His statement " if they don't fit right away, get a bigger hammer" was funny, but it also disarmed the notion that dovetails HAVE to be so exact in every situation. I believe with that statement, he was trying to lessen the mystique and level of "expertise" of hand cutting dovetails that typically hinders amateur woodworkers from trying to make them when they first start out.

Woodworking was a relatively untouchable hobby for most people not that long ago. To truly learn the craft, most had to rely on previous generations or, if they were lucky, be able to spend time in a cabinet shop as an apprentice. Now we have this huge internet woodworking community that allows the average hobbyist to learn from masters of the craft, free of charge. The problem with the internet is that the anonymity it affords sometimes breeds a false sense of expertise and lack of respect for our teachers and each other. My point that I have been fumbling around trying to make is that we should be thankful for masters like James Krenov, Sam Maloof, Frank Klauz, and yes, Phil Lowe for taking the time to share their knowledge, often free to thousands on the internet. When those masters share that knowledge, we should give them the respect they have earned through years of the craft. Then, filter the info for ourselves, give their suggestions a try and see if they work for us. Finally, we need to stop taking ourselves and the craft so seriously. Most of us are simply hobbyists and we are all taking this journey together. Share your knowledge freely, but remember that everyone has different experiences to contribute and your opinion isn't the only one that matters. True craftsmanship is a blend of technical skill and art, and you can't be successful without balancing daring ingenuity with time honored techniques.

Many of us grew up with the desire to work wood but thought it would never be accessible to the average Joe. Thanks to Phil and other true masters of woodworking for sharing their knowledge and time honored techniques so freely, enabling us to be successful in our woodworking pursuits.

Mike
<a href="http://freshshavings...be-sainted.html">Source</a>

Here I go again.... I just deleted a 2 year old blog where I enthusiastically described my newly built shop saying how happy I was that it was bigger than my house, etc., etc. I'm a little embarrassed to say that after it was all finished I had spent too much money building it and had trouble making enough to cover my expenses. I got myself into such a pickle I ended up having to sell it and start all over again.

I've since moved from the desert to the coast and am in the process of setting up shop once again. I've learned a lot about myself and my requirements for a 'sustainable' lifestyle have changed substantially. I have no one to support except myself and I realize how much easier I have it than most other woodworkers. My shop has gone from around 1000 sq.ft. to around 450 sq.ft. I sold my largest pieces of equipment - my 22in. drum sander, vacuum system, radial arm saw and floor model drill press. I also sold my antique table saw and a band saw that I had plans of restoring. I'm back to having a tight but comfortable shop space to work in.

I've thus far moved my home and have it all unpacked, now I need to get my shop moved over here from the storage unit. I'm hoping to do this next week. Until then I need to learn ways of reducing the humidity in the shop. Where I moved from the relative humidity was usually 20-30 percent and rarely more than 50 percent, here it is 80 percent all the time! I've been doing some research and am looking into buying a dehumidifier for the shop. I would love to hear any advice you all might have about them, this is all new to me. I'm afraid that if I don't do something about it before I actually get to cutting wood, I may be in trouble with the wood going crazy on me. I'm looking into a 70 pint dehumidifier with a built-in drainage system.
Another item I have just ordered is a moisture meter, I never had a need for one before now. I decided on a Lignomat - scanner style so I could also measure the humidity in the floor in the shop, which is cement. I have read that I can reduce the humidity level by up to 30 percent if I paint the floor with a sealant therefore preventing the transfer of humidity from the ground through the cement. But, I recently talked to a local builder who said not to bother because what I have under the floor is a couple feet of dry sand (I live within a few blocks of the beach) which doesn't wick moisture up through the cement. This seems to make sense to me so I will hold off on painting the floor for now.
Another idea I have is to eventually install a wood stove which in my past experience can dry the air pretty well as it also gives a nice comfortable source of heat.
Any advice on reducing the relative humidity in a shop would be greatly appreciated.

Below is a pic of my 'newest' shop upgrade. I enclosed the existing carport, insulated and walled it with wafer board. It sits in front of the house.

As I learn more and get my shop going once again, I will post my progress, as it really helps me keep on top of things.... Thanks for listening:). May 14, 2013 Samantha.

Thanks to a generous donation of some amazingly beautiful Teak boards from a friend of the show, I have an opportunity to work with an species of wood I probably would ordinarily not use.



It's not that I don't want to use different species, I just have a few that I'm readily familiar with and just haven't had a reason to step out of my comfort zone before.

So the first thing I'm building with these gorgeous boards is a...shoe rack!

Tools featured in today's show:
JET Benchtop Oscillating Spindle Sander with Spindle Assortment, 110-Volt 1 Phase
SawStop Cabinet Table Saw
Steel City Tool Works 14-Inch Band Saw
Wood Slicer Resaw Bandsaw Blade
Bora Pistol Grip Clamps
Micro Jig ZeroPlay Guide Bar System




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<a href="http://feedproxy.goo...ack Pt 1 SD.mp4">Source</a>

I know, I've been lax in putting up the balance of the Five Minute projects.

truth is, I've not been able to get them going.  You see, when I brought the table into the house (and discovered it was too tall), I moved it temporarily to the kitchen.  To protect it that evening from any accidents (it was spaghetti taco night, and the oldest still gets spaghetti sauce on the back of his shirt when eating - seriously, when do teenagers grow out of that stage? - from time to time), I covered the table with a quick and easy table cloth in the form of a vinyl shower curtain from the dollar store.

Somebody noticed it was a convenient counter top height.  And right away, the temporary fix became a semi permanent fixture...  and still never got completed.  So today, the spring cleaning got done (late start, don't ask) and the table is still in use.  However, it has to go soon, as it is blocking the access to the dishwasher that now needs to be repaired.  So I should be able to finally finish that project and move on to the next...

the catch is, this is finals week.  Oh, and I've gotten another job.  For the past semester, I've been contributing to the student newspaper at my college.  This past Friday, I was given an appreciation award for my hard work and dedication, and also given a position.  So my duties (and summer classes) will also slow down the progress.  However, I should have a better insight to the college furniture that's needed, so expect to see a few projects this summer, although few will be as large as this eventually to be completed table.

(If you want to make this table as a counter, I'd cut the plywood sheets to 18-24" wide, and closer to 48" long.  This way, you can actually get two counter tops out of one sheet, or even double up the top for more sturdy use.  The table has not sagged, but it does wobble, more to my choice of locations for screws than anything else.  One thickness of 3/4" plywood is holding up well for general purposes, but if you will be using it as a countertop, I'd suggest (nothing more strong, mind you) a thicker layer might be in order.)

And if you're interested in finding out more of the writing I'll be nominally directing as an Associate Editor, check out the online version of our paper here: http://www.cccvoice.com/

So this past weekend I made quite a bit of progress on the hand tool cabinet, with the completion of the boxes that will make up the doors of the cabinet. The doors are boxes as they are intended to be additional storage for my growing hand tool collection. This was actually my second attempt at making the doors. The first attempt did not end so well, as when I was cutting the grooves in the long boards (the sides) that would house the plywood backing, I had a mishap on the table saw. I finished cutting the short boards (tops and bottoms) and I must have inadvertently hit the locking lever for the fence. Not enough to completely loosen it, but enough to move it each time I pushed a board against. Thankfully no kickback, but the result was each of the long boards had a groove incrementally further into each board. After thinking through my options, I decided that the boards I had just worked on can be used for other aspects of the cabinet, so they will not go to waste. Another aspect was the color of the ambrosia maple had a lot of dark areas in them, so it wasn’t a great match to the existing cabinet box, as well as making some dumb mistakes with wood selection. So lessons learned, I went back to my hardwood supplier, and took more care in what I selected for the doors. Armed with new wood, I milled the boards.

The boxes are a fairly simple construction, with rabbets on each of the side boards, and grooves to hold the 1/2″ baltic birch plywood for the backs. After getting the pieces sanded, and dry fitted a couple times, I glued them up. I ended up only using two clamps for each cabinet, as I had an easier time getting the boxes square. The two clamps held everything tight enough, resulting in tight joints.

The next step in the project is to build the false fronts for the doors. These will be frame and panel fronts. I am thinking once those are done and on the doors, I am going to apply the finish to the cabinet and doors, and go ahead and hang it. The reason being, is it is big. http://sawdustnewbie.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> Storing it while it is being worked on has become difficult. Once that is done, the rest of the components needing made are relatively small. I do realize that this puts this at risk to never being done. However, it truly never done, as it will always be modified and added to as I continue to add to my hand tools.

Source

I thought about what I wanted to post this year for Woodworking Safety Day (formerly Safety Week), and was honestly having trouble thinking of something that hasn’t been covered already. I then thought about posting about simply listening to your inner voice and making sure one analyzes and is comfortable with a certain operation, but I think Tom and Dyami have covered that really well already this year.

So what I though I would offer this year is how family can contribute to shop safety. After all, we each have our own personal set of rules we follow to help us keep safe. Our family should be a part of the equation too. For instance, some of the safety guidelines we follow in our house are:

• If you hear cutting machines (table saw, jointer, planer, etc.) running, wait until they are powered off before interrupting.


• Communicate. If you’ll need a certain amount of time to complete an operation and think it could be a safety risk to be interrupted, tell your family. “Hey, I’ll need about an hour to get this part done. I’m cutting up a bunch of small pieces at the table saw and will need to focus on that.”


• My son is 8 years old, so this is pretty much a no-brainer; but he’s not allowed in the shop without supervision. I’m all for exposing kids to the goodness of woodworking, so when kids do come into the shop and want to watch or help, show them where to stand that is safe and out of the “line of potential fire” for any hand or power tool work you may be doing. Take it step further and explain why you’re asking them to stand there. They will begin to develop a sense of safety for themselves.


• I do the vast majority of work alone, but when I do need a second person to help, as was the case recently when I had to replace my basement door and needed to route out the mortises for the hinges, my wife will help. In these cases, I have dedicated hearing and eye protection set aside just for her (my son will use these too when appropriate).

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Take some time to talk about shop safety with your family, and come up with some rules that make sense for your situation.

Stay safe! Take some time to check out the other safety posts listed on The Wood Whisperer’s Safety Day page here.

Source

Garden Planters Part One
I have mass produced a whole load of parts using the dedicated mortiser and the router table for the framework of the planters. The material used was 44 x 44 (1 3/4" square) pre-milled sapele from a local wood supplier. I felt it was cheaper for them to supply the ready milled stock rather than me do it myself as there was quite a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in. The mortises are 25 deep x 30 long (1" x 1.1/4") by 3/8" wide (the mortise bit is imperial!).

The plywood I'm using for the sides is a good quality external hardwood ply 1/2" nominal thickness which actually measures 11.35 mm.
I cut the slots using an 11mm routing bit that I have.
Routing the legs showing the starting stop block
Routing the legs showing the stopping stop block
I also had to break out my excellent Record 778 rabbeting plane (rebate plane for us English people but I prefer rabbet) and took off a thin shaving all around the edges of the ply so they would drop in OK I would have used the router but it was late last night and I didn't want to disturb the neighbours. Record 778 rabbet plane forced into service I have to say that this plane is superb and very easy/quick to use. Just keep the blade well honed and it will give many years of sterling use.



Then it just came to dry fitting everything. There are two cube boxes like this one and two larger rectangular boxes. I have ordered some tongue and groove Western Red Cedar to clad the boxes but the carcasses will be finished with some waterproof General Finishes Exterior 450 prior to the cedar being screwed on with stainless screws (no ring nails on this project as I don't want to risk splitting the sapele). Dry fitting the parts

The base panels are to be made from 4" x 1" pressure treated softwood nailed in place with some stainless brads (yes I managed to get hold of a bunch of them )

Since I did the Dust Deputy Review in Episode 27, I have been getting questions and have decided to answer them publicly with a video so everyone may benefit from the answers.
In this video I show how I reinforced the 5 gallon bucket lid that I mounted the Dust Deputy to.
In Episode 28 I gave information to help the woodworkers decide which shop vacuum size might be the best to use with the Dust Deputy.
Here are the last 2 videos:
Episode 27: Dust Deputy Review
Episode 28: Choosing A Vac For The Dust Deputy​
I hope you enjoy and find it informative. ​
Your friend in the shop-​

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

After setting up my shop to where it is somewhat usable, my to do list is constantly growing. Since I set everything up, most of the work I have done consisted of various tests and trials. I have never set up or used a jointer of this size, same goes with my table saw. Granted, they are not the top tier tools, they met my expectations. For the price, I expected some tune ups and hands on work to get them where I wanted.

I feel that I can make almost any basic project now with the tools that I have. I'm really excited to get the call from Rockler when my Festool CT midi is available to be picked up. Improving the air quality of my shop is something I am looking forward to doing.

Tasks that I can name off of my to do list are quickly adding up. I want to have some more 120v electrical outlets run, lumber rack built, storage for all my odds and ends, dust collection, and more room cleared out of the shop space.

But above all, finishing this vanity stool for my fiance is on the top of the list.

<p>Tonight we were very luck to have <a title="@EliCleveland" href="https://twitter.com/elicleveland" target="_blank">Eli Cleveland</a> from the <a title="Design Build Show" href="http://www.designbuildshow.com/" target="_blank">Furniture Project</a> <a title="@DesignBuildShow" href="http://twitter.com/DesignBuildShow" target="_blank">(@DesignBuildShow</a>) and <a title="Rough Cut - Woodworking with Tommy Mac" href="http://www.thomasjma...ut-woodworking/" target="_blank">Rough Cut – Woodworking with Tommy Mac</a> join us to discuss finding, preparing for, and executing successful furniture shows.</p>
<h3>Woodchat Transcript March 13, 2013</h3>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.c...bed/9tOwesPSMdQ" height="315" width="560" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @EliCleveland is here in the video, watch at http://t.co/B5CVqOKczq #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Our guest tonight is @DesignBuildShow’s @EliCleveland #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: RT @DJOfurnituremkr: @FlairWoodworks I love exhibiting. Great experience all around. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Can find shows here: https://t.co/OFA4oZVVhS #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: These are the two shows I’ll be attending later this year: http://t.co/70u8Le7FdC and http://t.co/nrTYRaNkhR #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @EliCleveland went to North Bennet Street School http://t.co/vlcLDkpBB6 #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: The vibe at his past shows was very sales focused and competitive #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Woodworker West http://t.co/Y4yph2zwok has a guide each issue listing shows. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: @DJOfurnituremkr dale whats the name of the people putting on the lake front art festival #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Don’t set your booth up like a museum – make a connection, let them use your furniture. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Speaking of booths. I go 5′ x 20′. Not so deep so people can see in without have to feel pressure stepping into 10′ deep. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @woodshaver101 zapplication #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Connect with your customers casually and relaxed. They are buying you just as much as your furniture. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @DJOfurnituremkr 20′ wide 5′ deep? #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: @DJOfurnituremkr didnt they put on a bunch of shows #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Pro Tip – make a comfortable chair for people to sit in. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: I have seen some furniture at shows displayed on plinths. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Talk to someone who’s been at the show before to understand the customers. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @uppercutwood Yes, people tend to feel a little uptight walking into a deep booth if they are just browsing. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: People are willing to walk away with something they bought for $50 – burn your name and contact info on it #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @uppercutwood Being only 5′ deep people can see what you have without feeling like they will be approached by a salesman. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Candle holders &amp; cutting boards did well for me. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: @DJOfurnituremkr Do you usually layout the items in your booth in a horseshoe shape? #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: i put out a bowl of candy in my booth,i would put a beer keg in if they would let me. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Nice, Mark! RT @woodshaver101: i put out a bowl of candy in my booth,i would put a beer keg in if they would let me. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @woodshaver101 Yes, most shows set up their app process through them. #woodchat</p>
<p>@JimAAshley: @woodshaver101 ha! #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @FlairWoodworks Different each year. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: tons of fantastic tips in less then 30 mins! #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: We have beer at the Milwaukee Fine Furnishings Show <img src='http://uppercutwoodw.../icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />  #woodchat</p>
<p>@CoolToolShed: and I thought it was a beer run! #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: I do demos at the Milwaukee Show based on Japanese planes and joinery. Very high interest. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Do some basic work at the show – they’ll be curious and want to engage. Let them try things. Show them the wood. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: RT @DJOfurnituremkr: I do demos at the Milwaukee Show based on Japanese planes and joinery. Very high interest. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Make sure your show let’s you use a vacuum. The union might not let you. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: I have had other woodworkers walk in to my booth and take a picture of my stuff,piss me off. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: My TV debut from 2011 show, doing demo: https://t.co/NQ8G95br72 #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: i was just thinking that #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: RT @woodshaver101: I have had other woodworkers walk in to my booth and take a picture of my stuff,piss me off. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Ask for permission if in doubt, if you’d like to attend the show again. #Woodchat</p>
<p>@amwoodshop: #woodchat the most useful tip I have discovered at shows is to never sit down. Lots of people will talk to you then. Unless you look scary.</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Watch the experienced woodworkers and see what they do. Learn while you’re there. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Definitely! RT @amwoodshop: #woodchat the most useful tip I have discovered at shows is to never sit down. People will talk to you then.</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Engage yes, but don’t be a car salesman. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: @woodshaver101 sorry that’s me. <img src='http://uppercutwoodw...es/icon_sad.gif' alt=':-(' class='wp-smiley' />  #woodchat</p>
<p>@DustyDeveloper: #woodchat anyone care to comment on my first ever attempt at turning. Jotoba queen Chess piece about 9″ tall http://t.co/7HKq6JzNGP</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: One guy got sick of woodworkers looking under his table. He placed a picture of his ass under there next day :-) #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Booth location matters. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DustyDeveloper: #woodchat jotoba was so great to work with but what do I know – never turned anything else</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: I do 5′ x 20′ corner. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: I found out that wearing a sport coat and looking like a pro,makes a difference,dont look like you just came out of the shop #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Lighting is extremely important. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Do you bring your own lights? RT @DJOfurnituremkr: Lighting is extremely important. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Get really nice photos of your pieces #woodchat</p>
<p>@amwoodshop: #woodchat and people will take ANYTHING you leave laying out…pens, notepads, small children. Anything!</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @woodshaver101 good tip and @EliCleveland agrees #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @FlairWoodworks Yes,even though show is well lit you are best do have extra. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: Daughter &amp; I watching/chatting at #woodchat tonight http://t.co/5KZ5cRdIV1</p>
<p>@JimAAshley: Display photos in a portfolio book for folks to flip through, or display on laptop? or both? #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Yay! RT @weilworks26: Daughter &amp; I watching/chatting at #woodchat tonight http://t.co/4ugwVhWbVk</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: http://t.co/qKnRGLgJXY Glen Guarino – his wife Marie presented to woodworks on how to promote themselves #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: @uppercutwood I learned that one the hard way,educated people notice,things like that. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: The main takeaway – you have to think about everything. Type of folder your materials are in, etc. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: RT @uppercutwood: The main takeaway – you have to think about everything. Type of folder your materials are in, etc. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Last years show: http://t.co/M0dFCx7OMr #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: That’s not a sports coat <img src='http://uppercutwoodw.../icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  RT @DJOfurnituremkr: Last years show: http://t.co/hl6giFK4C8 #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: When people looked at expensive stuff, they felt like they didn’t get it – like they were left out #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @FlairWoodworks That was Sunday before move out. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: @DJOfurnituremkr Ah. So after the show was over. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @FlairWoodworks Yes, 30 minutes before take down. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: @DJOfurnituremkr I thought that might me norm abrams without his beard LOL #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @DesignBuildShow is having a second show outside of Boston in a week and a half #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: At the biggest craft fair in Vancouver, CircleCraft, one of the busiest booths was a maker of tongue drums. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Check it out at http://t.co/zmg7AQVRWR #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: The maker had drums to play with and a video showing steps in making it, looped, a few minutes long. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: your work is only worth what people will pay for it. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Milwaukee is contemporary, shaker and live edge. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Greene &amp; Greene still of interest but not as popular. Period is down. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: craftmans style with asian influence sounds like green&amp;green to me #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: I’ve notice a trend to reuse old beams and metal in furniture. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: I tend to stick with mixed media contemporary and contemporary live edge, not rustic. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Matt’s links: http://t.co/DQOzLTkDu3 and http://t.co/PHFJwmAdfd #Woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: A bunch of what’s made, and what sells in the Seattle area: http://t.co/gyvaLmKGoj #woodchat</p>
<p>@SonoranWoodshop: the southwest is all about ikea #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: yeah those links remind me of classical Japanese design elements a lot #woodchat</p>
<p>@SonoranWoodshop: high boy selling on craigslist for $650 http://t.co/JZEIcQLV6a #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: RT @SonoranWoodshop: high boy selling on craigslist for $650 http://t.co/JZEIcQLV6a #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Asian inspired becoming more popular here. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: @DJOfurnituremkr all b/c of you right Dale!? lol #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Another tip, don’t bring the same pieces year after year. Keep things fresh even if you have old inventory. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: @weilworks26 I could only hope. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Sales can come months and years after show. #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: show booths are not cheap,not to many sell enough to cover it,thus a high turnover rate. #woodchat</p>
<p>@SonoranWoodshop: I’m late to the show. how was the show marketed? where were people targeted to get the word out about the show? #woodchat</p>
<p>@woodshaver101: got to go see you next week #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: @woodshaver101 See ya, Mark! #woodchat</p>
<p>@randyglissmann: It’s frustrating in my area to even find juried shows for woodworking. It’s all about jewelry, pottery, and photography. #woodchat</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Luckily what I tend to build pairs well with oil/varnish blends <img src='http://uppercutwoodw...s/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @randyglissmann Hey Randy good to see you again #woodchat</p>
<p>@randyglissmann: @uppercutwood #woodchat I’ve been busy with my day job lately. I’m glad you are still broadcasting.</p>
<p>@DJOfurnituremkr: Bedtime, see you next week guys. #woodchat</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: @DJOfurnituremkr Goodnight, Dale. #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: see ya around @DJOfurnituremkr #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: @randyglissmann check this magazine for a list of shows http://t.co/Y4yph2zwok #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: If you can accept credit cards, you’re likely to make more sales, and sales of higher amounts. #woodchat</p>
<p>@uppercutwood: Booth space can be anywhere from $10 s.f. to $17 s.f. #woodchat</p>
<p>@SonoranWoodshop: thanks Eli for taking the time to share your experiences and providing some excellent insight… much appreciated #woodchat</p>
<p>@weilworks26: lots of great stuff tonight. THanks gents! #woodchat</p>
<p>@JimAAshley: Thanks guys, good #woodchat as always. Good insight from @EliCleveland</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: RT @JimAAshley: Thanks guys, good #woodchat as always. Good insight from @EliCleveland</p>
<p>@Tbdi0629: Totally missed out on a great #woodchat tonight. Here was my booth from The Best of the Northwest art show last Nov. http://t.co/zCnlcQM8DE</p>
<p>@FlairWoodworks: Many thanks to our special guest @EliCleveland of @DesignBuildShow! I learned a lot and time passed quickly. #woodchat</p>
<p>@randyglissmann: I’ve mixed wood species and finishes, even paint, to differentiate. Using reclaimed wood has an appeal too. #woodchat http://t.co/gC4pY2q0xh</p>
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Hey Everyone.
I guess the next thing i'll discuss is in running a small Furniture/Cabinet Shop is Finding Good material. Sheet Stock / Hardwoods.
I do believe that it is essential for you to find good sources for you all your Materials. Having a good Back supply of stock is incredibly important for long term success. Finding it Locally is obviously the best, but I know that can't always happen. As far as your hardwood is concerned I think one your best bet's is to find a good small local Mill. Try and start a good relationship with these guys because there Milling Price can change day to day. Once you have a good relationship built with your Mill you can then start networking with al your local Arborist , Loggers, landscape Contractors , anyone who deals with taking down trees.
Do watch out for Urban Trees, they can sometimes be filled with metal. So If you do start buying Urban Logs let you Miller know where they came from.
You will be so surprised how much time and money you will save once you start building your Hardwood stock. As far as sheet stock your sheet stock is concerned I thing is is always best to buy Domestic, most Euro ply's are low quality.
Always remember, This is My opinion of course, if you use great material you will always make more money.
I know it's more expensive and it can add up, but is's well worth it.
And the reasons why you will make more money is #1 If you build something with quality material it will show in your work, and if your work always shines you will do well.
#2 Fusing with crappie materials takes to much time, the money you save in your stock will be lost in
labor.
I hope this was helpful.








williamolsendesigns.com

<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo..._0301-copy1.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-826" alt="IMG_0301 copy" src="http://digitalwoodwo...py1-615x450.jpg" width="615" height="450" /></a></p>
<p>As woodworkers we many times get very snooty about furniture. “Ikea? I’d never put that crap in my house” “MDF? That cardboard crap is only useful for making Jigs”. I am just as guilty of this as the next wood snob.</p>
<p>While I love the path of heirloom quality furniture that my transformation into a woodworker has lead me down, it has left a number of the rooms of our house quite empty. (Maybe someday we will actually have a table and chairs in our diningroom). Recently our neighbors have been updating a few of their rooms and cleaning out old stuff. This has lead to some wonderfully usefull hand-me-downs. When they ask me if I could use a white set of bedroom dressers I didn’t even hesitate or ask the wife…. “Absolutely!”. I was sure they would be useful in one of our many empty rooms.</p>
<p><span id="more-802"></span></p>
<p>It turns out this set was made of cheap materials… in the truest definition of the word. The top, shelves, sides and drawer fronts were profiled MDF. The drawer sides were particle board. The only wood of any kind I found in the pieces were the drawer slides and the corner braces for the casework.</p>
<p>The set had originally been cream but had been painted white with a roller so it had that undulating texture that a roller leaves (not to mention it was covered in heart and star stickers <img src='http://digitalwoodwo.../icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  ) In its pressent condition I could think of no room it could go in.</p>
<p>One of the many projects on my list is new kitchen table and a set of chairs. I’ve already secured a set of birdcage windsor chars that were stripped and just needed repair work and refinishing done to them. My plan was to Milk paint them black over red and make a rugged farmhouse trestle table.</p>
<p>This set of dressers seemed like a good place to practice some finishing techniques.</p>
<p>My first step was to clean them up and put a coat of primer on them. I applied every coat with a brush to bring some texture the furniture.</p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1567.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-804" alt="IMG_1567" src="http://digitalwoodwo...567-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> <a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1568.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-805" alt="IMG_1568" src="http://digitalwoodwo...568-337x450.jpg" width="202" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Then 3 coats of latex red I had laying around the shop. I picked up this can of paint a couple years ago for $5 from the “oops” section of our local big box. I use it for shop projects mostly and I still had around 3/4 of a gallon left.</p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1574.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-806" alt="IMG_1574" src="http://digitalwoodwo...574-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> <img class="alignnone  wp-image-807" alt="IMG_1575" src="http://digitalwoodwo...575-337x450.jpg" width="202" height="270" /></p>
<p>After the red dried I painted it with <a href="http://milkpaint.com...ategory_Code=MP">Pitch Black Milk Paint</a> mixed with <a href="http://www.milkpaint.com/prod_eb.html">EXTRA-BOND</a> to assist in bonding it to the Latex paint underneath.</p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1576.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-808" alt="IMG_1576" src="http://digitalwoodwo...576-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> <a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1577.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-809" alt="IMG_1577" src="http://digitalwoodwo...577-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>After the milk paint had dried to the point of no visible wet patches I took a wet rag and began to distress portions of the pieces. Essentially I just went around and washed off the milk paint. My goal was to add a since of history and time to the piece. I wanted to focus on areas that would receive the most wear over time, so I focused about what portions would get rubbed the most. Corners, edges, the bottoms of feet, around handles and pulls, and surfaces that would have gotten things set on them. My goal was to simulate a history.</p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1579.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-811" alt="IMG_1579" src="http://digitalwoodwo...579-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> <img class="alignnone  wp-image-812" alt="IMG_1580" src="http://digitalwoodwo...580-337x450.jpg" width="202" height="270" /><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1578.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-810" alt="IMG_1578" src="http://digitalwoodwo...578-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a></p>
<p>Once I was happy with the distressing I just waited for the paint to cure for a day or so and then went back and applied a coat of oil (I used boiled linseed). I just soaked a rag and made sure every part of the paint got soaked in it and wiped off the excess. I kept coming back to the piece over the next few hours and wiped up any excess with a rag and generally just tried to even out the appearance of the sheen. Over the next couple days I kept working small amounts of oil into the paint until I was happy with the evenness of the sheen.</p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_1582.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-814" alt="IMG_1582" src="http://digitalwoodwo...582-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></a> <img class="alignnone  wp-image-815" alt="IMG_1583" src="http://digitalwoodwo...583-600x450.jpg" width="360" height="270" /></p>
<p>I also did an old bed frame I had in the same finish. I still need to pick some hardware and actually decorate the room. But at least it has some furniture now. <img src='http://digitalwoodwo.../icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://digitalwoodwo...02/IMG_0297.jpg" rel="lightbox[802]"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-821" alt="IMG_0297" src="http://digitalwoodwo...297-475x450.jpg" width="475" height="450" /></a></p>

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A wood file, or several of them in various sizes, is handy to use.  Often times a metal file that has grown too dull for metal work can still serve out a nice lifetime as a wood file.  In case you are looking to have a new file that works well in several situations, Robert [...]

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It’s Get Woodworking week, and a great time for me to resume some blogging. It seems that each time I write a blog, it begins with an apology for not writing more frequently. I offer no excuses but to say I’m a furnituremaker and father first, not a blogger. Blogging offers a bit of a creative outlet when I’m not otherwise occupied.  Fortunately, I’ve been quite busy with work, for customers and for myself, and exercising my woodworking skills daily as a result. Which brings me to the subject of this post – something I’ve been reflecting on for years, but only forming coherent thoughts on recently.
Matt Kenney, Senior Editor at <a href="http://finewoodworking.com" target="_blank' class='alignleft' alt='""' />Fine Woodworking, and someone I consider a friend, posted about <a title="FWW cheating" href="http://www.finewoodw...at-woodworking" target="_blank">cheating in woodworking recently. Besides being a talented and accomplished woodworker (see some of his work at left), Matt holds a doctorate in philosophy, so I hesitate to disagree (my, albeit lesser, degree in philosophy gave me enough insight into the dangers of arguing with a Ph.D. in Philosophy), but I know he won’t take it personally. His point was that there is no such thing as cheating in woodworking, it’s just about the quality of the product. I encourage you to read the entire post, but here’s an excerpt:

“What matters when you’re making furniture is the furniture. When all the tools are put away and the finish is dry, have you made a beautiful piece of furniture that you and other folks find beautiful and useful? If so, then nothing else matters. So, do whatever it takes to make the furniture you love, even if that means using a router, tablesaw, or a chisel guide to cut dovetails.”
                                              – Matt Kenney, Senior Editor, Fine Woodworking

A key part of this thesis is that HOW it’s made is irrelevant, as long as it’s beautiful and nobody can tell the difference. This undercuts the value of creativity and craftsmanship which, like any skills, are developed with time, practice, and a little effort. This does not suggest that master craftsmen and artists, who have worked at their art for years and years, practicing and creating, don’t find efficient means to accomplish the same tasks. They do. But they have developed sufficient skills to know what is efficiency, and what is corner-cutting – ways of accomplishing things without developing your skills or learning the how’s and why’s of methods of art.
So on this point, I argue that whether it’s “cheating” depends on your goals: If you want the fastest way to an endpoint, it’s impossible to cheat, as Matt suggests. If your goal is to get better and better, hone your skills, craftsmanship, and creativity, then it’s entirely possible to cheat. I’d argue it better to learn well by trying and falling short of what you know to be possible, and to do it over and over if need be, to gain the unconscious competence that comes with mastery.
Wilbur Pan (of <a href="http://www.giantcypr...iantcypress.net), in the context of the importance of the “dovetail-a-day” idea, recently posted a link to the following video, created from a commentary by Ira Glass, contributor and host of <a href="http://www.thisameri...life.org/">This American Life, (a great, thought-provoking podcast/radio show for listening to in the workshop, incidentally) which makes this point as he discusses creative endeavors (in his case, the art of writing and storytelling):
If you just want a good-looking end-product done quickly without taking the time to learn how and why, a robot in a factory somewhere overseas can likely make one faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than you can, but that doesn’t sound much like creativity, art or craftsmanship to me.
No, there isn’t one “right” way, or, more accurately, there are many right ways, so try many, as Matt suggests, but don’t fall back on the fastest and easiest simply because some methods you know are “time-tested” seem too hard. You can be sure that the masters, who all have their own ways of doing things, have practiced ad nauseum, and mastered, many different methods before settling on the best way for them. You can also be sure the same masters had many years of disappointing results, which they pushed through, knowing they could achieve better. Cheating is not in the method, its in failing to try, to practice and to grow your skills.
This idea applies to learning to freehand sharpen, cutting without jigs, dovetailing without a router, etc., which I won’t get into here, but to point out that there are an abundance of things in woodworking (and I suppose in life as well) better to learn to do well by practice, than to just finish quickly. Developing the skills to make them unconscious habits will lead to doing it more quickly, and knowing when another method may be more appropriate.
My favorite comment from the rather lengthy comment stream in Matt’s post, from commenter “Pags”, a boatwright in Minnesota: “ I would hate to teach math to our children using only calculators instead of them learning how to do the math using their heads”. Amen. Having returned somewhat later in life to earn an engineering degree, I’m rather scared to know that 99% of my young classmates, now out in the world engineering our roads, products, robots, etc., stored the entirety of their understanding of fundamental engineering and the math skills needed in their Ti-85′s (calculators), not learning it and imprinting the knowledge in their minds.
So my parting thought is that for those who want to develop their creativity and skills, and particularly for those starting out: Don’t cheat. The results won’t be good at first. Simply try again. And again, and again. If it looks perfect for your first try (and this applies for almost anything creative), you probably cheated. Yes, the product looks great, but you probably took a shortcut to get there, and thus didn’t learn from it. You’ve cheated yourself. Rather, do a lot of work. Do it over and over (this is the basis of the dovetail daily exercises). It WILL be hard, but rewarding. You’ll soon find you’ve mastered techniques enough to know the most efficient way, but more importantly, you’ll understand why, and when to apply which techniques. This builds the creative foundation for being able to design and build your own works, and to do it well.
So go make, then make again…and again…and again. Years from now, you’ll reflect on how you’ve grown your skills, almost by accident, by constant practice.

<a href="http://tomsworkbench...-woodworking/">
PS.  Moments after drafting this post, my thinking was bolstered to a degree, when I read <a href="http://www.renaissan...-by-hand/">this post, by Shannon Rogers, who appears to have practiced ripping solid stock by hand enough that it’s become second nature.
PPS. A couple days post-drafting (yet pre-posting), and again, this topic popped up in a <a href="http://www.rpwoodwor...t-woodworking/" target="_blank">blog post, this time from just down the road from me from the shop of <a href="http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/about/" target="_blank">Rob Porcaro, a hugely talented woodworker, who agrees that there is cheating in woodworking, though for a slightly different reason than I’ve given. His conclusion is, however, the same…get back to work.

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Dovetail Box<br />Box Carcasse: South American Mahogany<br />Hinges: African Mahogany<br />Top Panel: Black Walnut<br /><br />Finish: Le Tonkinois Bio Impression Flat Varnish<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot...ClosedFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot...ClosedFront.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot...ornerDetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://4.bp.blogspot...ornerDetail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot...ilOpenAngle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot...ilOpenAngle.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><br /><br />

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<br />Sometime last year, Sylvia and I were having dinner at my friend Ken's place.  He'd recently got a copy of <a href="http://www.huntingto...2.aspx?id=9082" target="_blank">The House That Sam Built</a>. Sam is one of my favorite designers.  I love his simple, elegant and organic sense of design.  This hall table was the piece that most captured my eye. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot...ge cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot...ge cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />At that time, I jotted a couple ideas down and  when I got home I did some really rough sketches, until I found something I really liked.  I let it stew a bit and after awhile came back to it and did this sketch.  This was something I added to the list of projects I wanted to do.  I planned to do this as a veneer piece with solid edging that I could sculpt round in a bow to Maloof. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot...Hall Table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://3.bp.blogspot...Hall Table.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The order of things changed recently when Sylvia got fed up with our present couch and decided to get new living room furniture, which meant I had to actually hang the TV and build a console.  I also decided to tweak the hall table design.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot...ive Sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot...ive Sketch.jpg" width="187" /></a><br />I sketched these two perspectives while Sylvia and I were watching something, so she could see what I was thinking and give some buy off before I started scale drawings.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot...ole Sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://2.bp.blogspot...ole Sketch.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Based on the single point perspective and the actual measurement of the wall and all the components of the entertainment center, I produced this first drawing. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot...irst Draft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://1.bp.blogspot...irst Draft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
At this point I put it out to my woodworking community on Facebook and Twitter.  I got some really good feedback.  <a href="http://markcherrycab...ts.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Mark Cherry</a>, a buddy on Facebook and @woodshaver101 on Twitter, has done a lot of cabinet style furniture and suggested, due to the length, I employ a torsion box in the design.  <a href="http://earlkelly.com/" target="_blank">Earl Kelly</a>, again a Facebook buddy, thought the piece looked a bit stretched and after stepping back, I thought so, too.  This is the final single point perspective with 5" trimmed from each side, all from the panels.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot...le Draft 2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot...le Draft 2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The center section will sit just back enough for each front panel to bypass.  The bottom-middle is for the surround sound's bass reflex speaker, the center speaker will be directly above and the left and right front channels on each of the respective shelves in the curves.  The choice for the material center panels is still up in the air.  I was originally thinking metal and may still go that route.  I just need to consider vibration.  I'm planning on building this as a veneer piece.  Under the right circumstance, I don't mind solid wood, but if the piece will benefit from man made materials, I'd rather go that way.  I'm thinking the shop made veneer will be ~ 1/8 inch thick.  The dark wood is Wenge and the top and panels will be Black Limba.  </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot...0/DSC_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot...0/DSC_0612.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
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I've still got some logistics to figure out, one being to find some good plywood.  I'm looking forward to the build!</div><img src="http://feeds.feedbur...~4/H_jKA3vqYWA" height="1" width="1"/>

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I was in my local Home Depot yesterday and walking through the tool section looking to buy a couple of bar clamps.   I have always favored the Jorgensen brand because they are sturdy, well made, and are made in the USA.  I have always appreciated that Home Depot carries them.   So I walk [...]

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