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On The Cover:

By: (Oct/Nov 2005)

Tool Care: Tuning a Block Plane

By: Hendrik Varju
Table saws, jointers, planers and other machines are vital tools in a furniture making shop. They get the job done more quickly than hand tools and with the potential for great accuracy. However, for some situations, like making a tenon fit a mortise, or making one surface flush to another, machines are often inadequate. They don’t have the finesse and fine-tuned accuracy of a hand tool. If you have a hand plane that your not using, or if you simply want to get more out of the one that you are using, be sure to see this article. Hendrik covers: deburring; flattening the sole; beveling the sole; adjusting the lever cap; and flattening and sharpening the blade. To help, Hendrik gives six full colour step-by-step photos of each step, along with a full colour photo showing all of the plane’s parts clearly labeled. Read this article and you are sure to get better results and more satisfaction out of your hand plane.

Outdoor Project: Display Cart

By: Michael Kampen
Michael and his wife are vendors at the local farmer’s market, so Michael designed this cart as a way to display their wares. It’s a great cart to display anything from produce, to wooden crafts, to jewellery. Michael found that his new cart attracts both attention and business, as people are naturally drawn to, and gather around it. When not being used at the market, they use it on their deck as a buffet table for barbecuing. You could also use it to store cushions and other deck accessories, or place it poolside to store towels and sun screen. It offers a great combination of display and storage. For example, you could display potted herbs and lettuces on and around it, and store your watering can, plant food, and garden snips out of sight inside the cart. Michael leads you through the construction with step-by-step instructions. To make it easier, he provides three detailed illustrations showing all of the parts and measurements. The details and instructions on building the old-fashioned wooden wheels are sure to come in handy for a number of other projects, as will the details and illustration on making a circle cutting jig. Michael includes a complete materials and hardware lists as well.

Furniture Project: Chrysanthemum Table

By: Rob Brown
This one-of-a-kind round coffee table is at home in a spacious, formal living room, dressed with something small and simple on it, say, a chrysanthemum. Rob’s table is a real eye-catcher, and is sure to provide a beautiful focal point in any living room. Rob is most helpful in showing how to construct this table. In fact, in the process of his instructions he provides illustrations and details for four very effective jigs that you will be able to use for a lot of different projects: a groove cutting jig; a bent lamination form; a cross cut jig; and a hole drilling jig. He also gives you three full colour photos of the completed project with some great detail shots. Add to that a fully detailed 3D exploded view of the table, and a complete materials and hardware list and you’ve got all you need to build this gorgeous coffee table.

Shop Tips: Lumber Measurement

By: Michel Theriault
Most of us buy lumber that is either ‘dressed’ or ‘rough’. Dressed lumber has been jointed and planed after it has been dried, while rough lumber has been dried but not planed. To calculate the cost of lumber, your supplier uses a standard unit of measurement called a ‘board foot’ (bf). It is similar to buying nails by the pound, or paint by the gallon. This handy guide gives you all the information that you will need to calculate board feet. The helpful illustration that Michel provides makes it very clear that even when boards are of various dimensions, they can still be the same bf.

Turning Project: Ship’s Wheel Nutcracker

By: Paul Ross
This is a great project to use as a holiday gift for when you are visiting friends and relatives. It is an expecailly effectivbe gift when presented with a nice selection of nuts in the shell. Pairing the nuts with the nutcracker establishes that this work of art is not just for looking at and admiring, but for practical use as well. Adding nuts to the gift also gets the party going, because no sooner than the gift is opened, good friends are sitting around snacking. Paul leads you through the process with fifteen full colour, step-by-step photos, along with detailed instruction. He also gives a helpful tip and resource for applying food safe finish to this, or any project that comes into contact with food. I suggest you make more than one of these beauties, because when word gets out that you give them as gifts, you are sure to get a lot of invitations!

Shopping Guide: Buying a Bandsaw

By: Garrett Lambert
If you are in the market for a bandsaw, or just want to know more about your own, this is a great article. Garrett talks of: open or closed stand; frame style; motor size; wheels; trunnions; blade guides and thrust bearings; cutting speeds; table top; fence and gauge; blades; parts availability; riser blocks; and other considerations He also provides an excellent list of resources for additional information, as well as a list of suppliers who carry blades and accessories. If you are interested in bandsaws, this is a must read.

Tool Specs: 14” Bandsaws

By: Graham McCulloch
Now that you know what to look for in a bandsaw, Graham lines six of them up, and lists all of the specs for: King, Canwood, Ridgid, Craftex, Delta, and General. He also gives you a full colour photo of each. This is a great way to do your comparison shopping, because you get all of the details without a sales person!

Wood Finishing: Rubbing the Finish

By: Carl Duguay
The smooth, clear look that you see on expensive furniture and high-end musical instruments, such as pianos and guitars, is achieved by rubbing out the finish. Rubbing the finish removes dust nibs, brush marks and other imperfections, levels the surface, and gives an even sheen. The only way you can get a super high gloss look is by rubbing the finish. Find out how, as Carl leads you through the process. If you want to take your finishing to the next level, don’t miss this informative and practical guide.

Scroll Saw: Desk Clock

By: Ted Duquette
Clocks make wonderful gifts anytime. Ted makes them to sell, gives them as gifts, and takes commissions to customize them. In this article he does an attractive desk clock that can be easily adapted for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and retirements. Ted gives step-by-step instruction, a fully detailed illustration and a complete materials and hardware list. He also gives some great resources on where to get clock parts for your clock project. Don’t you think it’s time to make a clock for someone you love?

Wood Joinery: Lap Joint

By: Michel Theriault
Lap joints may not be as highly regarded by the craftsman as the dovetail or the mortise and tenon, but they serve a very important role and are quite versatile. They are used where two or more pieces meet or cross, enabling you to keep the surfaces of the two pieces flush while improving the strength of your assembly. Michel gives a lot more detail and information on the lap joint, including what you need and how to make the joint. Michel gives two full colour photos of the joint (both assembled and disassembled). He also gives three full colour, step-by-step photos of how the joint is made. Follow along with this informative series and soon you will be able to make every joint in the book!

Carving Project: Relief Carving

By: David Bruce Johnson
Relief carving is the use of perspective, highlights, shadows, and texture to effectively create an illusion of depth. If you have never tried relief carving, or if your relief carvings just don’t ‘pop out’ like they should, don’t miss this excellent article. David is an awesome teacher who will definitely make a difference in your carving. See his nineteen full colour, step-by-step photos and read how to make your carving really stand out.

Woods to Know: Cedar

By: Laura Morris
This issue, Laura covers cedar. In addition to details on where it is found, it’s uses, it’s physical properties and it’s working characteristics, Laura gives full colour photos of both Eastern White and Western Red Cedar. She also provides three beautiful illustrations of the tree for easy identification. If you haven’t already started to collect this series, get in on it now. We will be covering all of the woods that you need to know about, and how they relate to your woodworking.

Shop Tool: Adjuster Jig

By: Michel Theriault
This adjuster adds accurate, repeatable adjustment to your jigs and fences. It’s scale enables you to accurately adjust your work as fine as .001”. The adjuster is very easy to make from commonly available parts. It is versatile enough for just about anything, including accurately positioning a router or table saw fence. Michel shows you how to make your own with detailed instruction, three full colour photos and a complete illustration showing all of the parts and assembly. He also gives you a complete materials and hardware list. This is just one of the many essential shop jigs that we will be featuring in the magazine.

Sharpening Tools: Bench Grinder Upgrade

By: Carl Duguay
The bench top grinder is an essential shop accessory for sharpening turning chisels, putting a new edge on badly nicked plane blades and bench chisels, grinding drill bits, and for a range of other metal grinding, shaping and polishing tasks. It will also keep your garden tools in top cutting condition. In this article, Carl shows you how to upgrade your bench grinder with OneWay’s Wolverine Grinding Kit, Wolvering Balancing Kit, and OneWay’s aluminum oxide wheel. Be sure to get the most out of your grinder by upgrading the manufacturer’s parts with high quality, after-market parts. You will be amazed at the difference.

Shop List: Wood Show Preparation

By: Bob Dearlove
Besides being a bandsaw and bandsaw blade guru, Bob is an exhibitor at practically every woodworking shows across Canada. While talking to potential buyers, he is constantly surprised at how many woodworkers arrive at a show to buy their supplies without knowing exactly what make and/or model they have (and therefore don’t know what accessories will fit their needs). And that’s not just for bandsaws either. Without preparation, it’s pretty difficult to know all of the specifications for the various saw blades, router bits, drill bits, sanding disks and sanding sheets. In this article, Bob outlines how you can be more prepared to take advantage of all of the incredible offerings at a woodshow. Be sure to read this article. When you are at the next woodshow you’ll be glad that you did.

Wood Wisdom: Hand Tools

By: Clive Smith
There doesn’t seem to be any end to the on-going debate of power tools vs hand tools, with both sides having their supporters. If you have ever pondered this topic, I’m sure that you will love this article. Even if you have never given it any thought, Clive’s insights are sure to spark some considerations. Whether you are an avid hand tool user, or a power tool junkie, don’t miss this thought provoking article.

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