Woodworker's Journal October 2020

While it is very true that woodworking is a generic term covering a huge range of activities, it is unified in one aspect: wood. Folks who are not woodworkers are unlikely to appreciate the amazing characteristics of our favorite medium … from balsa to lignum vitae. And certainly those outside of our community will never know the swell of joy we feel as a truly unique piece of stock exits the planer and reveals its inner beauty. But often that presupposes we have a source of lumber to buy from. And in recent weeks I have learned that many of our cadre are having a bit of a challenge finding good quality hardwood. Some of that problem may be geographic. If you live in the middle of a desert in Nevada, you…

THE SUMMER OF OUR DISCONNECTION Looking back on this summer, I have to say my feelings are mixed. The pandemic disrupted our summer plans and activities from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Here in Minnesota, the State Fair — a really big deal to us — was canceled. My arteries will benefit from the deficit of deep-fried foods, but my heart will miss the connection to so many wonderful people, displays and memories the fair provides. But through the dispiriting changes and challenges, there have been many uplifting moments as well. And riding the wave of making the best of things are woodworkers getting busy in their shops … and surfing that wave right to the shore. In my 20-plus years at this magazine I have never seen so much woodworking activity.…

Lending Library Thanks Plus Some Painting Advice I’ve been putting off building my wife a lending library for a couple of years until I saw Kimberly McNeelan’s article in your August 2019 issue. She provided every detail I needed to get the ball rolling. After building her library design, the only improvement I would suggest is to paint all parts before assembly to ensure sharp lines between the contrasting colors. I also found it helpful to first draw the page lines on the book’s edges before tracing them with my wood-burning tool. Keep up the great work, and thank you for an excellent resource! I read the magazine from cover to cover and learn something new in every issue. Steven WitcherAnderson, South Carolina Planing Epoxy Cutting Boards? I have been making cutting boards for…

Multi-species Rolling Workbench Here’s a heavy-duty workbench I’ve built from leftover maple flooring, oak plywood, a solid oak face frame and walnut that I cut down over a decade ago. It features a pair of vises and storage drawers underneath. I used Rockler’s foot-activated Workbench Casters (item 43501) to make the bench easier to lift and roll around my shop. Dale BartelBrainerd, Minnesota Rotating Fruit Tray Recently I made this five-compartment fruit tray for our kitchen island. It rotates on a lazy Susan base. The center hanger is for bananas, and I made it removable so the compartment underneath can be used for other storage, too. The project is made of cherry and poplar finished with lacquer. I had a tough time finding a piece of hardware for the banana hanger, so I removed…

Whether you love or loathe the finishing process, it’s a necessary and unavoidable woodworking step. Here’s how you do it. Which of the following finishing products do you prefer as a top coat for a hardwood project? Oil-based polyurethane 32.73% Water-based polyurethane 28.95% Shellac 5.11% Danish oil 11.19% Varnish 1.95% Lacquer 8.76% Tung oil 5.84% I don’t apply clear finish 1.34% Other 4.14% How often do you use stain or dye to change the color of your woodworking projects? Nearly every project 18.17% Only some projects 49% Rarely 26.49% Never 5.71% Which of these coloring products do you prefer? Oil-based pigment stain 53.18% Water-based pigment stain 23.11% Dye 13.33% Paint 3.3% None of the above 7.09% When applying a clear top coat, would you likely sand the wood: Extra smooth, 400- to 600-grit 22.2% Very smooth, 220- to 320-grit 62.56% Less smooth, 120- to 150-grit 10.85% I don’t apply a clear top coat 1.46% Where do you…

Mechanics Know It Well Three readers speculate that Dennis Jakubisin’s red-handled mystery tool in the June issue might be most familiar to vintners or wait staff. Larry Hines from Land O Lakes, Florida, thinks its purpose is to insert corks into wine bottles. But both James Yarbrough, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Luther Steele believe it just removes the corks. Evidently, according to the rest of you, these three guys haven’t spent enough time in the garage — because the mystery tool has a unanimous purpose with the “grease monkey” crowd. Ed Zagorski, David Boyle and Kyle Amberman knew it clearly as a tool for installing or removing drum brake shoes on old cars. “Cool find,” Kyle adds. Gary O’Brien explains that drum brakes are held in place with a spring assembly “that consists…