Woodworker's Journal October 2019

If you haven’t seen it recently, we updated our Weekly newsletter. Most subscribers like watching woodworking videos, so we’re now going all-in on video. The new Weekly contains even more videos, including a new video greeting to our subscribers in every issue and a couple of featured skills or project videos. Think of it as a weekly woodworking class that’s delivered to you … for free. Plus, just for fun, we’ll also throw in an occasional chance to win prizes or a special deal. We’d love to get your feedback on the new format. Check out the latest issue at www.woodworkersjournal.com/weekly and let us know what you think.…

Falling Forward Into Fun PERFECT AUTUMNAL PURSUITS September is my favorite month of the year. In this neck of the woods, the days start to cool, the leaves start to turn and all my hobbies — fishing, hunting and woodworking — are in full swing. The cooler weather adds some pep to my step, and I can see my fellow woodworkers shifting from mowing their lawns to firing up their jointers and planers. It seems that a lot of us start to get really serious about shop time as fall begins. And here at the Journal, we have a great collection of projects in this issue to help you fill that time. Check out the table of contents on page 4 for our eclectic collection. And speaking of eclectic ideas, last winter I…

Kids Shop Time Some of the very best time I spend in my shop is with my two grandsons, Jacob and Nathan. Over the course of several weekends spent entirely in the shop, the boys each built an Adirondack chair for their parents. They helped with everything from surfacing the lumber all the way to finishing and final assembly. We used cypress lumber, which is plentiful here in Florida. I made the templates that we used to make the parts, but then the boys took over and did pretty much everything. Here is the result of their efforts. Jerry Carpenter Brooksville, Florida…

Handy Helpers for Machine Tune-ups Nut Notations There are some nuts and bolts around my home and shop that I need to loosen from time to time, but I can never remember their specific sizes. So, rather than try numerous sockets or wrenches to find the right one, I just mark the correct fraction or metric notation on or near the fastner. Now, thanks to these notes, there’s no trial and error. Joe Colangelo Carrollton, Texas Rip Fence Alignment Jig Here’s an easy jig you can make to dial in your rip fence’s parallelism to the miter slots and blade. It’s just a hardwood runner that fits in the miter slot with a plywood crosspiece glued to it. Make the crosspiece overly long at first, and be sure to glue it perpendicular to the runner.…

Q I’m looking for the best way to finish this tray so that the bottom surface will be level. Thinking epoxy, but I’m not sure if the cork will create too many air bubbles, and I have never used epoxy before. I’m also considering inserting Plexiglas®, but I’m not sure of its stability and how to attach it. A last possible option is just to brush on a coat of urethane. Michael Krajeski Dillsburg, Pennsylvania A Personally, I’d be reluctant to try an epoxy fill for this application. The ideal circumstance for epoxy is when you can fully access the entire surface of the “pour” once it cures, for leveling/sanding/polishing. With your project, I’d be concerned that the raised handles are going to get in the way of smoothing/flattening the inside corners…

In the June issue, Philip Thor of Portland, Oregon, had sent in a 5"-long tool, hoping to learn its purpose. Luckily, Philip also included a few more clues in his original email, like the fact that the 5"-long tool was marked “URICH” along with Patent August 1919. The patent filed by Benjamin Urich of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and granted on August 19, 1919, was for a “puncture-closing device for tires.” Specifically, bicycle tires. Urich wrote in his patent description, “My invention relates to improvements in so-called rubber band shooters or, in other words, a device for retaining a rubber band in a stretched or extended position.” Jim Wydra of Keewatin, Minnesota, explains: “It’s for fixing bicycle tire punctures with rubber bands. Put a few rubber bands in the tiny slot in the point and…