WOOD Magazine July 2018

Last weekend I needed to plane a long strip of walnut down to about ⅛", but there was some swirly grain in the piece that I feared would tear out in the planer. So, I switched over to my drum sander to finish thicknessing. It should be an easy task to simply switch the dust hose from one machine to the other, because both ports are the same size. Almost. In fact, they are so close, I was sure that if I just forced it a little more, it would fit well enough to get the job done. No dice. After about 20 frustrating minutes of trying every adapter and cheater in my arsenal (a 5-gallon bucket full of random dust fittings collected over the years), I just strapped the ill-fitting hose…

Pick This Late Entry to Show My cousin, Glenn Fisher, of Russiaville, Ind., made this rocking horse out of Brazilian cherry. A very active 90-year-old, he has always been interested in working with wood, especially cherry and quartersawn oak. He is a self-taught woodworker who has made dry sinks, china cupboards, buffets, end tables, gun cabinets, clocks, frames, and desks. And, when the kitchen was remodeled, he made all the cabinets. Over the years, Glenn has built many toys for children, such as teddy-bear rocking chairs and doll cradles. But rocking horses are his pride and joy. At the age of 88, for the first time ever, he entered one of his rocking horses in the Howard County Fair. The judge said his horse was good enough to be entered in the…

Send Us a Photo of Your Work Want to see your work showcased in WOOD¨ magazine? Send a high-resolution digital photo of your completed project to woodmail@woodmagazine.com.…

Third Bay His Way Over the course of three moves across the United States, Lynn Eberhardt gathered plenty of experience setting up workshops with limited floor space. For his latest setup, he closed off the 11×23' third bay of his three-car garage to contain noise and dust. And he is stocking it with multipurpose cabinets, benches, and storage that make the space efficient and comfortable. Mahogany plywood used for most of these fixtures makes them as handsome as they are functional. After the walls were up to separate the shop space from the rest of the garage, Lynn covered the floor with DRIcore subflooring panels (dricore.com). The waffle-like pattern of its vinyl base allows the concrete underneath to breathe while providing cushioning, and the OSB top helps prevent damage to dropped tools.…

Q Subtle Distinctions Separate Files, Rasps, and Rifflers Can you describe the best applications for each of these hand tools, and how to use them? Do I need all three in my shop? —Tim Farley, Marshall, Texas A All of these tools give you great control when removing small amounts of material, Tim, but each is so different from the others that it makes sense to have all three types in your shop (as well as different versions of each type). Here’s what you need to know: ▪ Files have long teeth running across their width. Those with only parallel teeth are known as straight-cut or single-cut files. Those with rows running at opposing angles are called cross-cut or double-cut files—these cut more aggressively than straight-cut files. Largely used for metal removal, files occasionally…

TOP SHOP TIP Cut On-the-money “coins” With Absolute Safety This simple jig allows you to precisely cut short lengths of wood dowels, for use as checkers or decorations, with no risk of chip-out or the coin firing back at you. Make the body of the jig from scrap 2-by material about 12" long, and the handle from 1-by material. Near the front of the jig body, drill a hole matching the dowel diameter. Then, bandsaw a wedge-shape kerf where shown. Glue the handle to the body. To cut a coin, insert the dowel into the hole, push its end flush against the fence, and push the jig through the blade. Your hand pressure will squeeze the jig tightly around the dowel, holding it securely. Push the coin out, and repeat to make another. —Bob…