WOOD Magazine September 2015

Have you ever walked into your shop and just sensed that it was time to tidy up and invest some effort into making it work better? After brushing off layers of dust, sorting and stacking piles of lumber, and pitching tool accessories and manuals that no longer have tools, I always feel energized and ready to dive back into building the stuff I love. I hope you get that same reinvigorated feeling as you peruse this issue of WOOD® magazine. We’ve cleaned up the look and added more pages to provide larger, clearer photos and drawings. And you’ll find more pages about you, such as the reader project gallery on page 8, the shop feature on page 10, and the “to-do list” on page 16, filled with ideas to help keep…

IT’S SIMPLE: Purchase the Complete WOOD Magazine Collection on USB Thumb Drive at woodstore.net/thumbdonor, and we’ll also send one to the shop teacher of your choosing. Don’t know a shop teacher? For every archive purchased, we'll send a free one to a shop teacher on our waiting list. Are you a shop teacher? Sign up for our waiting list at woodstore.net/shopteacher. KNOW YOUR WOOD This stuff grows on trees. So learn a little about the plant behind the product and you’ll improve both your lumber-purchasing savvy and your woodworking skills. Start here: Lumber lessons from the log. woodmagazine.com/lumberlessons Learn to deal with defects. woodmagazine.com/dealwithdefects How wood moves. woodmagazine.com/howwoodmoves What wood is that? woodmagazine.com/whatwoodisthat UNDER PRESSURE Pressure makes diamonds, baby! See which clamps shine like jewels and which ones are lumps of coal. woodmagazine.com/shinebaby…

YOUR VOICE Perfect scribing? It’s in the groove Regarding the shop tip “Hole in one makes an above-par marking gauge” that appeared in issue 231 (March 2015), there is an easier way to accomplish the same thing without drilling a hole in your combination square. Simply place the blade with the factory-machined slot facing down. Tuck the tip of a pencil in the slot and scribe the line. —Terry Godar Mechanicsburg, Pa. Readers respond to scamming scum We received hundreds of bogus renewal offers from readers after the “Skip the scams” editorial in issue 231. Thanks for your editorial exposing these activities and including their names so I and others know they are not legitimate. —Joel Davis Findlay, Ohio I have received many of these phony subscription renewal letters over the years and always wished somebody would do…

YOUR QUESTIONS Do I need both a drawknife and spokeshave? Q A spokeshave seems to be the little brother of a drawknife, and I’ve seen both used to make spindles. But do they work the same? Should I add both to my tool collection? — Dennis Royster, Camden, N.J. A You’ll see both tools used for shaping spindles, chair legs, and other curved forms, Dennis, but they work differently. A drawknife removes a lot of wood quickly with little finesse, so unless you prefer handwork for roughing out workpieces, you may not find much use for a drawknife. A spokeshave (right) more closely resembles a hand plane, with its adjustable, replaceable blade fitted tightly to the tool’s body for finer shavings. The short sole of a spokeshave comes flat or rounded, making it a good…

WORK FASTER, SMARTER, SAFER From back stoop to backstop: This trashy tip catches chips Mitersaw cuts spray chips and dust everywhere. Capture the debris by surrounding your saw: Just cut away the front of an inexpensive plastic trash can and slide it over your mitersaw stand or workbench. Cut through the base of the can and bolt on a Big Gulp dust hood (no. DBGULP, $15.95, pennstateind.com) for dust collection, and you’ll find that you never need to take out this trash can again. —Dale Nesheim, Sioux Falls, S.D. For sending this issue’s Top Shop Tip, Dale receives $300 worth of Jorgensen CabinetMaster parallel-jaw clamps from Pony Tools. Tips earn up to $150. If your tip is the best of the issue, it’ll win Top Shop Tip honors, and you’ll receive a tool prize worth at…

thewoodgal.com STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE WOOD-WIDE WEB When I began visiting woodworking forums to research and solicit ideas for my dream shop, I quickly found there was no shortage of opinions (some downright fanatical) on how I should spend my money. But because my shop is also a source of income, I had to prioritize those features that keep me flexible, keep me working, and keep my business solvent. So I ran every big-ticket item through the filter of those priorities. Not only did I end up with a fantastic working shop, but I also managed to create a wonderful retreat I’ll enjoy for years to come. And all without breaking the bank. Here are some of the critical decisions that I had to make about the most hotly debated wish-list items…