WOOD Magazine December/January 2023

BUILD A STORY—NOT JUST A PROJECT—FOR THE PERFECT GIFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. Whether he agrees or not, I consider Design Editor John Olson to be our resident gentleman philosopher. He tends to provide thoughtful answers to questions. Because we’re approaching gift-giving season, I asked him: What is it that makes a handmade gift special? The answer: provenance—the built-in history of the project. In other words, it’s the story behind the gift that makes it meaningful. When I asked him what were some good ways to incorporate provenance—to inject more meaningfulness into a project—his answer made my journalism degree jealous. The key, he told me, could be boiled down to the questions of Who? What? When? Where? Those same cardinal questions that we use to connect stories to readers are what can connect…

THAT GOT DARK Days are getting shorter. Nights are getting longer. Sigh. Time to hole up in the shop and distract ourselves with woodworking, the single bright joy in a dark, dark world. No, don’t try to cheer me up. Just let me be dramatic. Alas, the color drains from the world. Even the wood seems determined to fade. • Can the Color Change Be Stopped? woodmagazine.com/colorchange • Darken Cherry With Sunlight woodmagazine.com/darkencherry • All About Wood Bleach woodmagazine.com/woodbleach Bleh. Maybe I’ll just make all my projects dark to match my mood. Ebonizing? Stain? Dye it black? • Traditional Ebonizing woodmagazine.com/ebonizing • Staining Problematic Woods woodmagazine.com/problemstains • Give Dye a Try woodmagazine.com/trydye THE LATEST IN LIGHTING Maybe this place just needs better lighting to fend off the unrelenting darkness. Ugh. woodmagazine.com/lightinglatest…

YOUR VOICE 3-WAY MITER I am reading issue 283 (Sept. 2022) and only got to page four before I had to check the online articles. The Robertson screw conspiracy hits close to home because, as a Canadian, I think it is the best screw ever invented. I built a couple of three-way footstools using three-way miters. It is a great joint, making the footsools strong and light. But the photo of the three-way miter joint really leaped off the page. Years ago, I built a couple of three-way footstools using three-way miters. It is a great joint, making the footstools strong light. They're adjustable to three heights—a great place to put my feet up when I am not in the shop or as extra seating when required. Gary Dean Prince George, British Columbia MID-CENTURY NIGHT STANDS My wife…

Q: SAVE TIME WITH AN ALL-IN-ONE STAIN AND FINISH? As much as I enjoy woodworking, I often wish I could fast-forward over the staining and finishing steps. I’ve seen products sold as all-in-one stains and finishes and have wondered if they are worth trying? Chris Stein Columbia, Maryland Note: Minwax Polyshades and Varathane One Step Stain+Poly are two examples of all-in-one stain and finishes. A: Staining and finishing don’t rank very high on the fun list for many woodworkers. Knowing this, finish manufacturers are constantly developing new products to make the job easier or faster. Enter all-in-one finishes. These products combine a pigment with a polyurethane finish, providing both color and protection to your project in one step. And just like traditional stains, all-in-one finishes are available in a range of shades. On the surface (see…

SLICK SLED FOR SAWIN SHAPES This bandsaw sled holds oddly shaped pieces like burls and small logs using four movable, curved jaws that pivot and slide on the base to almost any position. Create a plywood base and install a pair of T-tracks in grooves. Attach a hardwood runner that fits your miter slot and positions the base against the blade Cut the jaws from 2-by stock. (Download a pattern at woodmagazine.com/286patterns.) Then, drill a hole in the “tail” of each jaw for a ¼"-20 bolt. Prevent workpieces from slipping by adhering 100-grit sandpaper to the jaw faces. Add a bolt, jaw, washer, and knob to the T-track in the sled base. Don Lewis Montgomery, Texas GLUE TOP POPPER I made this simple bottle opener to end my struggles with opening stuck glue bottles. It…

Beautiful doors dressed in redwood burl stand out as the most noticeable feature of this stunning cabinet. Look closer, and subtle details reveal themselves calling for closer inspection. Hand-cut dovetails join the upper corners of the case. A simple-but-elegant base supports the cabinet. Inside, an adjustable shelf makes this cabinet as practical as it is beautiful. You’ll notice, too, how smoothly the doors move, thanks to adjustable roller guides that simplify one of the trickiest parts of creating sliding doors. The doors are also a great opportunity to try out the vacuum-bag veneering technique on page 30. We used ¼" MDF veneered with redwood burl for the door panels. If you’d prefer to skip the veneering step, use ¼" walnut plywood instead. DOVETAILS ADORN THE TOP 1 Glue up panels for the sides,…