Woodworker's Journal

Like nearly every other industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, big woodworking trade shows simply got shut down. Over the last year or so, a few have started to come back, although from my observations, they were smaller and had fewer companies displaying. As with any trade show, there were some interesting things to see, but the shows of late have been shadows of their former selves. But this August, the International Woodworking Fair (IWF) will be returning to Atlanta, Georgia, and it is my guess that it will be a robust event with lots of people and cool new tools. I’ve always found the IWF to be inspiring, with the spirit of a lively open marketplace. That said, trade shows have changed in the over 20 years I have been attending…

Potting Bench Praise Thank you for publishing Kim McNeelan’s “Cedar Potting Bench” that appeared on the cover of the June 2021 issue. The moment I saw the bench, I thought I needed to build one for my daughter who is an avid gardener. The design is both simple and elegant. It’s very pleasing to the eye while at the same time offers high functionality. When I showed the article to my daughter and asked if she’d like a version of it, she immediately accepted the offer. I completed the bench in time for our spring planting here in Michigan this year, and hopefully she’ll have it for many springs to come. Through your craftsmanship and design skills, you have brought joy to our family. Thank you for the article and for…

When Projects Catch Your Eye INSPIRATION IS WHERE YOU FIND IT It has happened to me so many times. I might be walking though an antiques store, reading a magazine, flipping through one of my wife’s catalogs or even visiting a friend’s house and there it is — something made of wood that catches my eye, and I can’t turn away. Oftentimes I decide that I am going to make “one of those.” I once saw an old-fashioned dough bowl in an antiques shop; it’s a piece of treenware where bread dough was placed to rise. I just had to make one (well a few, actually). Another time at a friend’s house, I saw an elegant Scandinavian-designed coat and hat rack with steam-bent wooden “hooks.” It was soon a project of mine. I’m…

Standing at Ease My first shop had a concrete floor, and it didn’t take too many hours of standing to appreciate the relief that a rubber mat afforded. I still stand on a rubber mat at the table saw as well as other machines. These mats greatly reduce leg fatigue and provide a nonslip surface among the sawdust and shavings on the floor. A good pair of shoes also goes a long way toward keeping your legs and feet from developing problems. Additionally, it sometimes helps to adjust your vertical position at the (table) saw for more comfort. For example, when cutting a lot of finger joints, I’ve found that standing on a low plywood platform helps reduce leg fatigue by raising me up to a more comfortable position for this…

Randy Wolfe must not have been an early riser as a youth — or he didn’t grow up in the 1940s, 50s or 60s — or else he’d likely know exactly what his April mystery tool is for. Because more than 100 of you remember it well, and many still use theirs today. “This seemed a fairly easy mystery,” says Cliff Watson of Roseville, California. “It’s made by Wear-Ever, so it’s most likely a kitchen product. It has a spout, so you would expect to be pouring liquid. And it looks like an overgrown garlic press.” That last similarity, in addition to the lack of a comparative scale for Wolfe’s tool in our April photo, led Patrick Bink, Dave Wells, Walter Glass, Tim McAtee, Jim Steffner (Nova, Ohio), Cindie Petersen, Alexander Mackie…

Save Those Thin Offcuts! Here’s a reminder that’s so obvious it almost shouldn’t need to be told: Don’t throw out those thin offcuts after you’ve ripped solid lumber for a project. I’ve used them countless times as stir sticks for finishes, glue applicators, thin shims, spacers underneath projects I’m finishing and of course, kindling. They’re so much more useful in the shop than in a landfill! Patti Givens Kanab, Utah Washers Make Handy Radius Templates Washers make great little radius templates for laying out corners on workpieces. There are regular washers and fender washers, so the size variations are abundant. Find the sizes with the radii you want, label them and save them with your measuring and marking tools so they’re readily accessible when you need them. Bruce Kieffer Edina, Minnesota Low-cost Floor Joist Light Bracket A trip to…