Woodcraft Magazine October/November 2022 (109)

As you have no doubt noticed, your favorite woodworking magazine looks a bit different. But rest assured, wrapped in this new skin beats the same vigorous heart. These new colors and graphics are designed to draw you in; to make our woodworking content that much more engaging. That’s all thanks to our new Art Director, Michael Church. Michael’s stellar layouts are a welcome refresh to these pages. As of this writing, he’s been with us for only three weeks, but with his experience and eye for detail, it seems like he’s been on the job for years. He understands what it takes to clearly and accurately present our top-notch projects and techniques. Michael got interested in woodworking while working as a display technician at the National Gallery of Art in Washington…

As much as I love your projects and techniques, I open every issue and flip immediately to the Reader Showcase, dreaming of the day my woodwork and photography skills will be good enough to appear there. The woodworking side I can learn through the rest of your magazine, but do you have any tips on photographing finished pieces? —Jonathan Freeman, Greentree, NJ Woodcraft Magazine staff replies: Digital cameras and even most camera phones can take high-quality shots that do justice to your work. A three-quarter angle that catches front and side is better than straight on. And take a few steps back to avoid distortion—you can always crop the image later. You don’t need photo lights, but even a pair of work lights let you control shadows better than your camera’s built-in flash.…

Swedish workbench maker Sjöbergs celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Founded in 1922, the company still makes its benches largely by hand, with a commitment to sustainability. In 1959, a son of the founder traveled to the United States with a miniature version of the company’s carpenter’s bench tucked into a briefcase. The immediate interest necessitated a full-size bench be shipped across the Atlantic, eventually ending up in Sacramento where it won a gold medal for good design. The U.S. has been Sjöbergs’ largest bench market ever since.…

DAVID GRAVES DEVON, PA CNC critter cutting. When he wanted to make a half-dozen Oven Squirrels (Issue 102, Aug/Sept. 21), Graves turned to tech. After converting the pattern from our pages into a CNC file, he loaded maple into his homemade CNC router and quickly set to cutting squirrels. Graves emblazoned each kitchen critter with the name of its recipient. We’re sure he’ll squirrel away the file for the next time he needs to batch some oven helpers. JOHN PATALON ERIE, PA A place to fall. Woodworker Patalon designed and built a trio of similar entry benches for his three daughters, crafting one each from cherry, maple, and oak (shown). After milling lumber from trees on his property, he air-dried it for several years before beginning the builds. Each bench features mortise-and-tenon joinery and frame-and-panel doors. Trying…

Price: $179.99, #184295 Overview: • 11,500 – 31,000 RPM• Micro-depth adjustment on plunge base• Depth stop on plunge base• Adjustable roller guide for trim base Trim routers are uniquely suited to certain jobs in the shop. They’re ideal for flushing up laminate and hardwood edging or adding small-radius roundovers to corners. Plus, the compact, lightweight design makes them easy to control single-handedly and adept at working in tight confines. It used to be that a trim router augmented your routing arsenal, but depending on the work you do, Triton’s new trimmer is powerful and versatile enough to make it your only router. As a trim router, the TMNRTR functions as expected. In addition, its small base allows plenty of visibility without compromising stability, the ½" collet fits common straight and edging bits, and the…

TOP TIP A sled for small parts When crosscutting, it is hard to beat the precision and efficiency of a table saw. But when cutting small parts such as pen blanks, drawer pulls and such, I don’t like getting my fingers so close to the blade. To make the process safer, I built a dedicated sled. It is comprised of an MDF base with screwed-on hardwood runners that engage the slots in my saw’s table. The fence and rear rail bridge the center saw kerf and help to hold the two sides together. I dadoed the fence to accept a length of T-track and screwed the track in place before screwing in the fence and adjusting it for square. Then I made the hold-down from two pieces of plywood glued together…