Woodworker's Journal May/Jun 2016

If you think the only things you’ll find on social media are political rants and people bragging about their amazing pets, kids and food — um, you’re mostly right. But if you haven’t checked them out yet, the Woodworker’s Journal social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram, feature great woodworking videos, tips, articles and projects every day. Thousands of your fellow woodworkers are already there, asking and answering questions and posting pictures of their projects (and maybe a few of their dogs, too). We even give away prizes once in a while! So we encourage you to give the Woodworker’s Journal social media channels a try. We think you’ll “Like” what you find. Who knows, you might even find yourself compelled to share pictures of your latest projects. You…

The cabinet shop next door was full of nice guys, but crummy tools. The shop I worked in had some really top-drawer equipment. I actually felt a bit bad for those guys, and then it happened. I walked into our building and looked into the other shop and they were all standing around looking at a new drill the owner was holding. It was blue and awkward looking. The handle was long and skinny and, well — weird. And then it struck me — there was no cord on that drill. Whoa! That Makita (Model 6093 I believe) was the first cordless drill I’d seen. And I wanted it as soon as I held it in my hands. The foreman at my shop said they were “toys” and wouldn’t hold up.…

Sponsored By Lacquer Thinner Rejuvenates Wood Putty If you have solvent-based wood putty that has sat too long in the can and now is as hard as concrete, all is not lost! Don’t throw it away. Instead, add a little lacquer thinner to the can and leave it for a couple of days. It’ll soften the putty again. Then mix it up thoroughly, and the putty will work as good as new. Fred Stark Neosho, Missouri Handy Quilter’s Tool Checks Dimensions My mother-in-law was a quilter, and among her supplies I found this aluminum measuring tool. It’s double-sided and has 14 measurements in eighth-inch increments from 1/8" to 2". I find it handy for measuring dadoes, rabbets and thicknesses. These are still sold at sewing stores for just a couple of dollars. Larry Krajewski LaCrosse, Wisconsin Molding Head Cuts…

THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS Chris Marshall is senior editor of Woodworker’s Journal and author of several woodworking books. Dr. Jim Randolph, DVM, is a veterinarian practicing in Mississippi who regularly blogs at mypetsdoctor.com. Contact us by writing to “Q&A,” Woodworker’s Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340, by faxing us at (763) 478-8396 or by emailing us at: QandA@woodworkersjournal.com Please include your home address, phone number and email address (if you have one) with your question. Winner! For simply sending in his question about moving a wood shop, Greg Glennon of Charlottesville, Virginia, wins a General International 7-piece Deluxe 8" Dado Blade Set (item 55-185). Each issue we toss new questions into a hat and draw a winner. Q I have been a woodworker since working in my dad’s basement workshop on small projects. I started to acquire…

What’s This? Darrel Mathieu of Luck, Wisconsin, learned what this tool is “many years ago.” Do you know what it is? Send your answer to stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com or write to “Stumpers,” Woodworker’s Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340 for a chance to win a prize! Woodworker’s Journal editor Joanna Werch Takes compiles each issue’s Stumpers responses — and reads every one. From time to time, we get a Stumpers mystery tool that truly leaves our readers stumped. For instance, the mystery tool submitted by Joe Mollo of Brackney, Pennsylvania, in the February issue got less than a handful of responses. None of them agreed. The most likely explanation seems to come from Ivan C. Adams of Perry, Utah, who said, “This tool could qualify as a combination compass/protractor that can transfer any angle or circular…

After years of frustration with factory-made turkey calls, turkey hunter and hobbyist woodworker Doug Wright decided to just quit the store-bought options “cold turkey” and attempt to craft his own. Combining his inherited love of woodworking with his love of the outdoors proved to be a lucrative combination for the young Rockmart, Georgia, native. “I began making them just a few years ago for personal use. After many botched efforts and drawers of mistrials, I finally crafted one that I was pleased with,” Doug said. Only after his first call produced results in the woods would he show it off. “I only intended to make me some calls. Then my friends wanted one. Then strangers wanted them. The next thing I knew, I had dozens of orders.” In 2014, he launched…