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Woodworking in the News
Wartime pilot flies high with craft
North Shore News
On Aug. 1, 1930, at the family home in Weston, Ont., Ken's father roused him and his brother Jack from sleep. In their robes and slippers, the boys stepped out into a night filled with the rolling of distant drums. Overhead, an enormous cigar-shaped object cruised across the moonlit sky. It was the British dirigible R100, visiting Canada on its maiden voyage. As the great airship sailed on and the thunder of the Rolls Royce engines faded, "that gorgeous big thing up there," as Ken recalls, had sealed a young boy's future. MORE
How West Michigan man went from corporate world to making high-end wood canoes, kayaks
The Grand Rapids Press
When Allen Deming decided to opt out of corporate life in 2006, he seized upon an idea: why not build a pair of cedar strip kayaks, one for himself and one for his wife. Now the former Proctor and Gamble sales division head teaches others how to build... MORE
New challenge for F-22 maintenance chiefs: Woodworking
Daily Press - Newport News, VA
Air Force recruiters never told Javaris Allen and Zachary Kee they would need jigsaws to work on aircraft, or make wood-buying trips to Home Depot. But these men, both staff sergeants and maintenance crew chiefs, have spent hours rebuilding the wood and metal skeleton of the Nieuport replica.
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Woodworker delivers handmade canes to wounded warriors
Jacksonville Daily News
For more than 40 years, Carl Hooton has shared his woodworking skills with friends and family. Now he’s using those same skills to reach out to local service members and thank them for their sacrifices. For more than a year, the Jacksonville resident has been creating wooden canes free of charge for Marines at the Wounded Warriors Battalion East. MORE
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Router Table for Trim Routers
Get more out of your compact router with a rugged, adjustable Trim Router Table that goes anywhere! A Rockler Exclusive, pre-drilled holes on the back of the Trim Router Table let you attach a clamping strip for quick use on the edge of a bench, a table, a piece of plywood, or the tailgate on your truck. Perfect for small applications like routing round overs, chamfers, and small dadoes in your shop or at the job site. Sets up quickly yet it's just as easy to detach your router from the table without tools. Use your router with the included 1/4" thick acrylic base to do freehand work like a standard router. The acrylic base not only provides a wide, level base for freehand work, it's pre-drilled to fit most popular trim routers.
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XT Extra Torque Woodworking Screws Extra Torque (XT) means just that! Commonly found “wood” screws will actually break around 25-30 inch/lbs. While that may be fine for drywall or other light duty applications, woodworking demands something better.
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The Square Drive Advantage Bits are less likely to jump out of the recess and allows for more driving torque. Square Drive offers a positive stick-fit which stays on the screwdriver bit tip; handy for starting screws overhead or from other difficult angles. Bits will last longer and are less likely to damage the screw.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT HIGH POINT SCREWS
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Quick Tips for Better Woodworking
Shellac used as a primer: Shellac has been used for centuries and is still the best solution for a spot primer in many situations. It is one of the best choices for a fast-drying stain blocker for wood knots, rusty nail heads, smoke, soot, urine and nicotine. Shellac softens under the UV in sunlight so it can't be used for an exterior cover on its own.
No vice? No problem. Hand Screws are a great way to hold boards on edge.
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But you can use it outdoors if you cover it with water-based primer before applying the top coat of paint.
Sanding Shield: When you are sanding in the corner of a cabinet with a random orbital sander or vibrating sheet sander, more than likely you'll ding the adjoining surfaces, leaving scratches, gouges or dents. To prevent this, use a piece of alumimum flashing between the sander and the areas you don't want damaged. Tape the edges of the flashing to prevent damaging your fingers when handling.
Wonder cloth: Available in most woodworking and fabric stores, cheesecloth should be on every woodworker's "must have" list. It works great as a filter medium to rid contaminents from paint and clear finishes. It is ideal for applying stains, rub-on oils, and shellac. And you can make your own tack cloth. Wet a 12" square of the stuff with mineral spirits, then wring out. Put a few drops of varnish on the cloth and start working it into the fabric. The cheesecloth will become sticky. You want it sticky enough to pick up dust but not so much that it sticks to wood. Do a couple of tests. When you have the procedure down pat, then fold the pieces into 4 X 4 pads and store in resealable plastic bags.
Safe Routing on the Cheap: Carpet pad is a pretty good substitute for a router pad. It is also much less expensive. You can pick up scrap pieces of pad a your local carpet or flooring store for a couple of bucks for a square yard vs $8 - 10 for a 24" x 36" speciality pad. Keeping with the carpet theme: The rubber pads designed to keep small area rugs from slipping will also keep those boards from sliding when routing. New, they run about $4 for a 24" x 48" piece.
Kitchen Island
Based on the worktables of rural America, this kitchen island has style and utility. The counter-height work-station has drawers, a pullout waste bin, a storage shelf and a drop-leaf top – it isn't nailed down – you can relocate it to suit the occasion, and take it with you if you move.
The plans call for poplar and poplar plywood because it takes paint well but the base can be made out of any hardwood.
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