News |
Reviews |
Featured
Link |
Readers Gallery
From the Publisher
Paul Fulcher
It’s been great meeting so many of you at the recent woodworking shows
(Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Victoria, Surrey, and Edmonton). I appreciate your
bringing pictures to the shows, so that I can see what you’ve been up to. I have
included a few of the photos that I have received in this month’s Readers
Gallery.
At the shows, I have seen some amazing projects by woodworkers of all ages and
all levels of experience. I have also had the pleasure of meeting a number of
potential writers that are eager to get their projects published in the
magazine. Watch for them in future issues.
If you have a project that you would like to get published in Canadian
Woodworking magazine, please let me know. It seems that every wood show that I
attend, I meet someone who has been thinking of sending something in, but has
put it off. Because of that, I am going to make it easy on you: If you would
like to show your work in our eNewsletter’s Readers Gallery
click here. If you would like to contribute an article/project to Canadian
Woodworking magazine,
click here. I look forward to seeing your work.
While at the shows I’ve also seen some mighty nice tools. Read on to find out
what’s new with Bosch, Steel City, Leigh Industries and Lee Valley.
Thanks, and enjoy!
|
FatMax Xtreme Magnetic Torpedo Level
 Stanley
Canada unveils its new FatMax Xtreme Magnetic Torpedo Level that
combines traditional Stanley toughness with a torpedo design for easier
handling, storage and use. Made of diecast aluminum it features a pipe
groove for use on rounded surfaces, three vials (one magnified and one 180º
rotating vial to duplicate angles) and rare earth magnets that have
twice the strength of ordinary magnets. $26.99. |
Speedbor Max Spade Bits from Irwin
 Irwin
introduces its new Speedbor Max Spade bits, available individually in 1/2",
5/8", 3/4", 7/8", 1" and 1 1/4" sizes, or in 3 or 6 bit sets.
All bits have 1/4" diameter hex shanks that are 6" long. These are the
fastest Speedbor spade bits ever made. The Tri-Flute design allows for faster
chip ejection, and cutting spurs have 3 cutting edges for added durability.
The full screw tip allows the bit to self feed - there is no need to
pre-drill a pilot hole.
Grooved hex shanks prevent slipping in drill chuck or bit extension, and the
common 1/4" size fits all standard 1/4" quick change chucks. |
New Products from Bosch
Bosch has some
interesting new products available. There are 3 new Precision Dado Blade
sets: PRO624DADO, a 6-inch 24-tooth set; PRO824DADO, an 8-inch 24-tooth
set; and PRO840DADO, an 8-inch 40-tooth set. All feature a 5/8-inch arbor.
Each set features precision-matched blades roll- and hammer tensioned by
hand for perfect true running. Blade bodies are laser cut from nickel-alloy
steel, then ground and hardened to Rockwell 42-44C for durability and
cutting accuracy. Bosch further minimized wobble by honing the arbors to H7
tolerance (.0007-inches) for precise concentricity. Extra large carbide
teeth feature tri-metal brazing for maximum durability and are CNC sharpened
with diamond wheels to a razor-sharp edge. Each set includes two outside
blades, one 1/4-inch chipper, two 1/8-inch chippers and one 1/16-inch
chipper, a high quality shim set for incremental adjustments as fine as
.004-inches and a durable carrying case.
Bosch is also introducing eight new 4-1/2, 5 and 6-inch 1800-series Grinders which
will immediately replace previous generation 1700-series models. These new
models offer new airflow and motor technology improvements resulting in 40%
longer life over previous models. The improvements result from the
incorporation of additional channels at the top, bottom and sides of the
grinders. These channels not only keep dust and debris from contaminating
the inner workings of the tool – pulling air from the back of the tool
versus the front – but they also help channel airflow to where it is needed
most for maximum motor cooling, and longer tool life. Further improvements
include a new motor commutator and brush system. |
Cedar Deck Designer
 The
Western Red Cedar
Lumber Association has developed the
"Deck Designer" on-line software tool. With it you can select and modify deck shape and size in the grade of your
choice, add stairs, railings, and even additional levels. On completion, you
will get a 3D model of your design plus a Deck Specification print-out which
contains a how-to checklist, tips for success, a materials list and your
three nearest Western Red Cedar suppliers. You can even create multiple deck
designs which they will store on their server for you for up to seven days. |
25th Anniversary for Leigh Industries
 Leigh
Industries is celebrating 25 years of service to the woodworking community.
The company was founded on the principles of innovation and excellence, and these remain
Leigh's guiding principles as
they begin their next 25 years.
Their 25th Anniversary catalog has just been released. The 2007 edition
contains information on all Leigh joinery jigs and accessories with up to
date information on Leigh’s new products.
For the novice or seasoned woodworker, incredible joinery is as easy as 1-2-3! Leigh’s new 81 minute DVD, included FREE with every catalog, shows
woodworkers how to make professional joinery in just 3 easy steps. For more
information go to their web site or call them toll free at (800) 663-8932.
|
Alaskan Mark III Chainsaw Mill
 Granberg
makes it easy and affordable for you to mill your own lumber. Timber
cutting and on-site processing was once a labor-intensive business well
beyond the resources of most amateurs.
A portable handheld sawmill makes
it possible for woodworkers to mill expensive and unusual wood. The
concept is as simple as it is ingenious. Mill attachments convert an
ordinary chainsaw into a full-blown sawmill, small and light enough to
hand-carry to a worksite. A portable chainsaw mill is also a budget boon as
it's far less pricey than conventional woodcutting equipment and the
accessories that go with them.
|
Steel City Tools Extends Rebate Program
 Steel
City Tool Works presents an introductory end-user rebate program to
reward woodworkers and show their appreciation for the warm welcome Steel
City has received this year.
Steel City will be offering even more iron-clad deals on their competitively
priced products beginning November 1st through January 31st 2007. The
promotion will include several of Steel City’s signature tools, including
their Deluxe Titanium Saw (Best Products Award 2007 - American Woodworker),
their award winning Bench Mortiser (Best Buy Award -American Woodworker),
and other products including Jointers, Planers, Band Saws and more. See
‘Bench Top Mortisers’ in Canadian Woodworking magazine, Dec/Jan’06 issue #45
Rebate amounts vary from $50.00 up to $200.00 depending upon the product.
All products are backed by Steel City’s Five Year Warranty. |
Logical Creations Wins Eco-Edge Award
 Logical
Creations Ltd., a small Alberta based company that produces custom
handmade log furniture from Alberta pine, was recently honored with the
Environmental Advisory board Eco-edge award. Presented by Mayor Linda Bruce
this prestigious award is given each year to the company which employs the
best environmental initiatives.
These initiatives for Logical Creations include:
-a zero waste policy
-harvesting only Alberta trees which have already died naturally
(thus lessening the fuel for future forest fires)
-utilizing off cut scrap wood and sharing them with the community as fire
wood
-composting of saw dust and shavings
-recycling all office by-products
Logical Creations is honored by this accolade and challenges all Alberta
companies to think outside the box and find new ways to reduce waste and
continue to produce the best products the country has to offer. |
| Veritas Iron Edge-Trimming Plane |
|
 |
| Item: |
05P03.01 (with A2 blade)
05P03.51 (with O1 blade) |
Rating: |
 |
| Source: |
Lee Valley Tools |
Price: |
$119.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
For the past umpteen years Lee Valley has
displayed a
bronze edge trimming plane in their catalogue. But at $170, it always seemed a
bit too pricy for me. At one time I had an opportunity to purchase an old
Stanley #95 (the ancestor of the Veritas edge plane) for all of $25, but passed
it up. Chagrin! So I didn't pass up the opportunity to try out the new ductile
iron Veritas edge trimmer. If you look
carefully at the edge and face of a board after you run it across your jointer
you'll |
|
notice milling marks - little ridges left by the
knives of the jointer. A lot of woodworkers sand these marks off. However, with
sanding you run the risk of rounding over the crisp edges. Alternately you could
use a block plane. Again, there is still a risk of rounding over the edges. This
is where the edge trimming plane comes in. It's designed as a finishing tool to
finely joint one edge of a board exactly 90º to the adjoining face.
Like all Veritas hand planes, this one is
exceptionally well made - the tooling is as good as it gets, with all the parts
fitting together well. |
|
Consistent with other Veritas planes, there are set screws on either side of
the blade that prevent the blade from shifting in use. Once set you don't
have to adjust the screws again.
|
|
Precise depth adjustment of the blade is effected through a knurled knob and
follower, common to other Veritas planes. It's an excellent system. I
find it best to hold the plane so that the blade is parallel to the floor,
and loosen the brass knurled knob just enough to allow the blade to move.
|
There is a shallow groove that facilitates smooth movement of the plane. A
nice touch. You'll also notice two holes in the side of the base. These
enable you to attach an angled block to the plane with #8 wood screws to
true bevels. |
|
The plane is available with either an A2 or O1 blade. Choose A2 if you want
a super hard blade that really holds an edge. Select O1 if you are willing
to sacrifice a little hardness for more ease in sharpening. The back of the
edge trimming plane (left photo) is very smooth and perfectly flat. While I
don't think it critical to smooth it any further, it could benefit from a
polishing. The bevel (right photo) shows a distinct pattern of milling
marks, that would definitely benefit from honing.
|
|
The side and bottom of the bed are exactly 90º
to each other.
|
Likewise, the front and back of the sole (for and aft of the mouth) are
perfectly flat.
|
|
I like to have the gap at the mouth as narrow as possible. The narrowest gap
I could attain on this plane was about 1/8". I was still able to get pretty
decent shavings from it.
|
These are the first shavings I produced. I wonder however, if
I could get finer shavings with a narrower setting of the mouth? |
 |
 |
|
It's just as easy and effective to hold the plane with either
right or left hand. I even tried pulling the plane towards me - worked quite
well. |
|
Specifications
Length: 6 1/8"
Weight: 1 lb 6 oz
Bed angle: 12º
Blade skew: 30º
Blade width: 1 1/4"
Effective cutting width: 1"
|
|
Woodworking with the Router
Bill Hylton |
|
|
| Item: |
ISBN: 0762108002
376 pages, hardcover, 2006, 7 1/2" x
10 3/4" |
Rating: |
|
| Source: |
Order through your local bookseller, or through
Lee Valley Tools. |
Price: |
$19.50 sc
$39.96 hc |
|
|
|
 |
Bill Hylton is the author of a dozen or so
woodworking books (including one my favorites - "Illustrated Cabinetmaking").
He's also a regular contributor to most of the major American woodworking
magazines. He knows a lot about woodworking, and from the photos that I've seen of
his work, he's none too shabby a woodworker to boot.
This new book is a revised and expanded edition of his popular
1993 book of the same name. If it has to do with routing, then I would be amazed
if you can't find it in this book.
The 26 chapters cover everything you want, or
likely will every need to know about using routers in the workshop. While the
book will be of inestimable value to the novice woodworker, it has enough meat
in it to satisfy all but the most experienced router professional. |
Topics include: how to use the router safely, making and using jigs and
templates, making and using router tables (including a section on making a
horizontal router table), how to use the router to trim laminates, plus sections
on using the router for making circles, curves, frame and panel joints,
laminates, dadoing, grooving, rabbeting, edge jointing, mortise and tenon
joinery, lap joints, dovetailing, miters and box joints (and I probably missed a
few).
The book is very well written, and amply supplied with
photographs and illustrations - over 450 of them. I liked the fact that many of
the photos are close-ups - it really helps to amplify the text. I found the
photos to be first rate - well lit, sharply focused and well composed. Just about
every technique that Bill uses has a photo. |
 The
illustrations in the book are also well done. Along with the photos and clearly
written text they make duplicating any of the numerous jigs in the book very
easy.This book is really a gold mine of practical, technical
information to help you get the most out of your router. A definite 'keeper'. |
Jigs & Fixtures
Sandor Nagyszalanczy |
|
|
| Item: |
ISBN: 1-56158-770-2
265 pages, hardcover, 2006, 9 3/16" x 10 7/8" |
Rating: |
|
| Source: |
Order through your local bookseller |
Price: |
$37.50 |
|
|
|
 |
This is the 14th volume in Taunton's "Complete
Illustrated Guide" series. Taken as a whole, they represent the most
comprehensive guide to woodworking available anywhere. If a formal multi-year
woodworking program isn't in your future, then the next best thing might be the
books in this series. All these books are
written in pretty well the same format. Each one covers a wide range of
techniques and is supported by copious photographs and illustrations.
Nagyszalanczy's book is no exception. The 14 chapters cover a
huge range of common, and not so common, shop jigs and fixtures. He presents the
material in an easy to read format, with concise, clear instructions and top
notch photos. |
 |
The book begins with a short primer on designing jigs, then goes on to discuss the
salient points in jig construction, and the tools and materials that you will
need to do the job effectively.
Oddly, the chapters devoted to safety are tucked away at the
back of the book. We suggest that you read them before you begin making any of the jigs in the
book. After all, along with enhancing productivity and improving precision in
your shop, one of the major reason for making shop jigs is to increase shop
safety.
The main business of the book is taken up in the 9 middle
chapters. Unfortunately, the first two jigs I looked for in the index, a micro
adjust for a shop built table saw crosscut fence, and a tenoning jig, weren't
there. Nonetheless, the |
 |
book does cover a very wide range of useful jigs and fixtures,
grouped into the following categories:
- Marking and setup jigs
- Fences and guides
- Sliding and pivoting jigs
- Jig tables
- Jigs for portable tools
- Templates
- Stops and indexes
- Clamping and alignment
- Fixtures
Many of the jigs include an illustration in addition to the
photos and text. Professional wood- |
|
workers may not find a lot here that is new or innovative.
However, for novice or amateur woodworkers, DIYers, and students, this is a good
book with a lot of practical content. |
 |
|
|
Arnim von Rodeck
ShamaWood
Arnim von Rodeck operates a handcrafted door and
furniture business in Vancouver BC. His extensive travels have exposed him to
Indigenous arts from around the globe; these forms provide the foundation for the
eclectic designs he incorporates into his craft. The source of all his work is
either reclaimed or FSC certified wood. His pieces are individually designed and
handcrafted to blend harmoniously into his customers’ environments.
Visit his
web site to see more of his work.
|
|
 |
|
Bed
David Griening, Terrace, BC
This is David's first furniture project
since high school. The bed is made from spruce that David harvested and milled
himself.
|
Workbench
Chris Hanck, Kirkland, QC
Chris' father is an avid woodworker and
recently made this workbench from a Peter Klausz
model in the Scott Landis Workbench Book.
|
Storage Chest/Bench
Jason Hedrich, Laval, QC
This heirloom box is made from Maple and Walnut.
The dimensions are 12" wide, 7" deep and 6" high. It has a hinged lid and green velvet on the inside bottom. The finish is 4 coats of clear semi-gloss polyurethane. It was requested for a wedding to place the envelopes in and the couple will use it after to store all their wedding memories.
|
Shop Table
Ed Filteau, Saskatoon
Ed made this shop table based on a plan by
Danny Proulx in Issue #30 of Canadian Woodworking Magazine. |
|
Table and Chairs
Peter Ferraro, Brampton, ON
"I am new to wood working" writes Peter, "and Bill Matisz who has
sent in some of his work, has been my teacher. I have used pine shelf boards
from the local hardware store for this table and chair set. Woodworking is
wonderful and my next big project is to build my workshop in the basement."
|
|
| |
|
If you would like to see your work in
this newsletter, send us an image along with information about your
project. Images look best with an uncluttered background. Use the highest
setting on your digital camera - we will reduce the image to fit in the
newsletter.
|
|
|
|
Issue #29
Nov 2006
Visit our web site
by clicking
here
Contact
our Marketing Manager
for information about advertising in this newsletter
Advertising Sponsors
Click on a logo to visit their web site. |
| |
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
Suppliers
Send new
product information for inclusion in the newsletter
contact us today
|
|
