Columns/Blogs
A permanent connection
I just finished the most difficult project I’ve ever made. It was a project I never really wanted to do, but I was asked to do it and couldn’t – wouldn’t – refuse because it means so much to me.
Better late than never
What’s the longest it’s taken you to complete a shop task? For me, it’s about 30 years – give or take a decade.
IWF reports attendance
The 2022 International Woodworking Fair, held Aug. 23-26 in Atlanta, drew more than 25,000 visitors, according to a post-show statement from the show’s organizers.
Take a sick day, or two
Getting sick often means you don’t feel like doing any work. But for woodworkers, it frequently means that you shouldn’t even try.
An unexpected result
Despite your best efforts, sometimes things go sideways no matter how carefully you plan.
But, why?
Woodworkers are nothing if not do-it-yourselfers. But there are a few things that baffle me that anyone would want to do themselves.
Blowback
Remembering to open a blast gate is a pretty basic first step in effective dust collection.
Block assistant
After more than four decades of woodworking, there are still some basic things I can’t do. For those, I get help.
Perishable items
Using things while it’s fresh is always a good practice, whether in the kitchen or in the shop. Glues and finishes come immediately to mind.
Choosing sides
Sometimes the hardest part of a project is the first step: Picking which side of a piece of stock to be the one everybody sees.
Missing link
Whatever happened to NiMH tools? For that matter, do you even remember them?
Is it a thing of the past?
Wood prices and availability are getting better every day. But the quality, not so much.
WCA honors Greg Heuer
The Woodwork Career Alliance of North America announced the renaming of its teacher financial aid program to the Greg Heuer EDUcation Scholarship Fund.
Stop, look and think
Nothing kicks your brain into safety mode in the woodshop like a blood stain.
TMI
There’s such a thing as “Too Much Information.” Right now, though, I’m experiencing a different kind of TMI: Too Many Ideas.
What goes up…
Lumber prices are coming down. Whether you’re benefitting yet depends on a couple factors.
Just one small tweak…
Small tweaks to projects are often necessary, but they never take long. Except when they do.
Mark Richey earns MBE certification
Mark Richey Woodworking of Newburyport, Mass., has been certified by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
Drum sander setup
The drum sander is another simple machine that can perform in a way that will save a lot of effort and easily dimension or flatten some rough stock.
Penny wise, pound foolish
The Power Tool Institute cautions tool buyers to only buy batteries manufactured by their tool’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
Less than impressed
In his most recent “Taking Stock” column, Woodshop News Editor Tod Riggio discussed knock-off tool batteries. I decided to look a bit more deeply into them.