WOOD Magazine October 2015

Thanks for all the great feedback on the update of WOOD® magazine, which rolled out in issue 234 (September 2015). “Inspire, then inform” is the principle that guided our efforts during the redesign process. In other words, if we don’t present to you projects that make you want to run out to the shop and build them, then the completeness and accuracy of the article doesn’t matter—you’re probably not going to read it. As woodworkers, we need to chant that same “inspire, then inform” mantra when we pass our skills down a generation or two. Someone in their teens or early 20s might not get too excited about a blanket chest, but if you told her she could build her own skateboard or electric guitar? Now you’ve got her attention! Thus…

WOODMAGAZINE.COM MDF METHODS ▸ What is MDF? woodmagazine.com/whatismdf ▸ Solid joints in MDF: woodmagazine.com/MDFjoint ▸ Plywood/MDF combine for the best of both worlds: woodmagazine.com/combocore MITERSAW MANIA Which mitersaws made the cut with our editors and readers? Find out at reviewatool.com/mitersawreviews MARKDOWN MONDAYS Check woodstore.net every Monday for single-day deep discounts: August 17: Free downloadable plan with project kit purchase August 24: 60% off WOOD magazine back issues August 31: 50% off traditional workbench plan September 7: 40% off all turning plans September 14: 50% off pendulum cradle plan September 21: 40% off all cabinet & storage plans…

Seller Beware I lost my house and garage workshop in a tornado in November 2013. One of the insurance adjusters asked if I had sold any projects made in my shop. Fortunately, I had not. Everything I did was for personal use or gifts. It turns out, if I had sold projects, my agent says my shop could have been classified as a business, and all my equipment would have required a separate insurance policy in order to be replaced. This is something most woodworkers probably don’t think about, but should be aware of. Check to make sure your shop is covered for disasters like this. —Terry Godar Mechanicsburg, Pa. “Woodworker” or “carpenter” We asked our Facebook community where they draw the line, if any, between carpentry and woodworking. Mike Barnett: Carpentry is known as the…

Stop, in the Name of Accuracy Q During a recent DIY project, I struggled while cutting crown molding on my mitersaw. I angled the molding against the fence and table, but the pieces kept sliding around, making the cuts unsafe and inaccurate. Can you help? —Steve Jones, London, Ontario A You were using our preferred technique for cutting crown, Steve: holding it upside down in its “spring” position (the angle at which it mounts to the wall). But to prevent slippage, you need something to anchor the molding on the saw. You have two options: Option 1: Commercial stops. Nearly all mitersaw manufacturers sell crown molding stops as accessories. They mount to the saw’s table via tapped holes; you then adjust them forward and backward [Photo A] to secure the molding against the fence. Option…

This Drawer Divides to Conquer Clutter When building cabinets for my shop, I wanted a drawer design that would prevent dust build-up and would accommodate adjustable dividers. The answer: drawer bottoms made from perforated hardboard. Scrapwood dividers with 1∕4" dowels mounted in an edge drop right into the holes. My tools stay organized while dust drops through. —George Sicord, Port Elgin, Ont. For Dust-collection Match-ups, This Tennis Ball Tip Is an Ace Struggling to come up with a way to connect a shop vacuum to the odd-size port on a sander, I spotted a tennis ball installed as a rail-guide bumper on my bandsaw. Eureka! Using hole saws the same diameter as the hose and tool ports, respectively, I drilled through a tennis ball to make a custom-fit adaptor. It works great! —Bob Muller, Westford,…

Editor’s note: Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers (New York, Dutton) is the latest book from woodworker, humorist, and actor Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie). Gumption is Nick’s irreverent tribute to America’s founders, the freethinking idealists who followed in their footsteps, and the creative individuals who inspire all those around them—people who embody gumption in a variety of ways. Nick calls it his “mixtape of great Americans.” In the following excerpt, Nick recalls his visit to Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, where he got to meet one of his heroes, boatbuilder Nat Benjamin. Nat’s boatyard builds and repairs wooden boats using traditional methods and materials. We met Nat at the shop, aka the railway, named thus for the actual steel rails that…