Woodworker's Journal October 2017

Dovetail joints! It’s tough to think of anything that has a stronger association with the craft of woodworking. This iconic form of joiner y is the perfect marriage of form and function. There are several machine jigs that can make them fast and easy to make, but having the skills to hand cut perfect dovetails has long been seen as a woodworking rite of passage. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to hand cut dovetails, but never found the right opportunity, you’re in luck! As a subscriber, you can now learn how to cut precise dovetails at home by watching our new 17-episode Premium Video series, “Hand Cutting Dovetails.” Find this series, along with several other exclusive, subscriber-only series, in the Premium Videos section on WoodworkersJournal.com. Once you’re there, all you…

FAREWELL TO WJ FOUNDER JAMES MCQUILLAN In the Connecticut of 1977, when a “mackintosh” was still a raincoat and an “apple” simply a fruit, a new magazine hit the market. Woodworker’s Journal Issue 1, Volume 1, of January 1977 was published by James McQuillan under the imprint of Madrigal Publishing Company in 16 pages of newsprint. Earlier this year, James J. McQuillan passed away in his retirement state of Florida at the age of 83. In his first editorial, long before the dawn of desktop publishing, James mentions the value of woodworking as a response to the era’s “technological explosion and its mixed blessings.” It’s unlikely that he had the wider industry on his mind as he started his magazine, but that did not diminish the influence. Both Woodworker’s Journal and…

A Daily “Plug” About Unplugging Safety We all know better than to change blades and router bits with the tools still plugged in, but a safety reminder about this protocol never hurts. And, it sure beats a trip to the emergency room! So, I label my table saw throat plates and blade-changing wrenches with a bold “Unplug” warning as a way of supporting a good shop habit. Doug Thalacker Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin Office Supply Saw Tooth Protector If you are in need of replacing the broken or lost blade protector sleeves that came with your hand saws, pick up a package of inexpensive report covers at an office supply store. Their slip-on plastic binders are more durable and sometimes even easier to install than the original blade sleeves. Cut them to length for shorter…

WITH PRECISION TOOLS AND JIGS Since 1922, General Tools has been providing tradesmen, craftsmen and DIYers with innovative and high quality tools with exceptional customer service. Ingenuity is the core of what makes General special. Our mission is to enable our users to work smarter, measure better and be more productive. We offer a broad range of affordable specialty tools and jigs to get the job done precisely right the first time. In addition to our standard payment (below), Anthony Fisher of Sebastopol, California, will also receive a General Tools ToolSmart Moisture Meter, Digital Angle Finder and Laser Distance Measurer for being selected as the “Pick of the Tricks” winner. We pay from $100 to $200 for all tricks used. To join in the fun, send us your original, unpublished trick. Please include…

THIS ISSUE’S EXPERTS Sam Hamory is an HVLP expert and Wagner/Earlex technical service rep. Chris Marshall is senior editor of Woodworker’s Journal and the author of several woodworking books. Michael Dresdner is a nationally known finishing expert and author of The New Wood Finishing Book. 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. QI have an HVLP spray gun question. I currently have a one quart cup spray gun that is 38 years old that I use for spraying clear finishes on woodworking projects. The gun is starting to fail, and I see no reason to attempt rebuilding a product that…

What’s This? Rick Gallion of Jefferson, Maine, got this item at a yard sale 10 years ago. He says it's "cast-iron and heavy as a brick." 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! In our June issue, we published a photo of a mystery tool Bill Nedelka of Wilmington, New York, had found at a garage sale. First, here’s one guess that isn’t right — but is interesting nonetheless: “I believe the tool is used to split firewood into kindling by putting the firewood into the tool and, with an ax, it can safely be cut into smaller sticks,” said Peter Masiello of Congers, New York. Peter was, however, on the…