WOOD Magazine May 2022

SHOP TIPS: A CURATED FINE-ART RETROSPECTIVE Behold the Shop Tip. A collaborative art form between reader, editor, and illustrator that draws the viewer in, inspiring and inviting future cycles of collaboration in an unending circle of expression. Focused, but evocative. Impressionistic, without devolving into cartoonishness. And transcendently informative. We collect and present here a gallery of paradigmatic examples, representing the various epochs in the evolution of Shop Tip illustration. Experience the full virtual gallery at woodmagazine.com/shoptips. Organic era. We don’t know Art Hoff, but we know what we like. And we liked his drill-storage tip, above, awarding it a Top Tip prize in late 2006, here lovingly illustrated by Tim Cahill. Note the line work on the hands, evoking movement and life, as well as the extreme background detail, characteristic of Cahill’s…

Heirloom Dooms Bear Chairs I was all prepped to make a set of Teddy Bear Rocking Chairs from the plans in issue 66 (December 1993). But as my wife was paging through issue 278 (November 2021), she saw the Heirloom Child’s Rocker plans and said, “You HAVE to make these.” So I did. I currently have five grandchildren, and each of my three children is expecting a new baby in a few months, so every family now has a rocker that will see a lot of use over the next few years. I will likely still make the teddy bear version someday, but for now, I need to get started on making some bunk beds for all of these little ones to sleep in when they come visit Papa and Nanna. Thanks for the…

Q Shock dead batteries back to life I have a cordless-drill battery that will no longer hold a charge. I know better than to just toss the battery in the trash, but how and where can I get rid of it? —Tom Heyob, Beulah, Wyo. A You’re spot-on about not throwing dead cordless-tool batteries into the landfill, Tom. Rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals, such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, which can leach into the soil and contaminate the groundwater. Recycling batteries is the safe, responsible way to dispose of them. Many home centers and office-supply stores offer free battery drop-off points for recycling rechargeable batteries. Tip! Find a battery drop-off location near you at call2recycle.org. Before sending your old batteries into the great beyond, however, make sure they’re really dead and not just in a coma. Most…

Take a Stand for Additional Storage Space The metal tool stand that came with my drum sander left a lot of wasted space underneath. And, there were no stretchers at the bottom to support a storage cabinet. With a few pieces of angle iron (or aluminum angle), it’s easy to create a sturdy frame. Adding a set of casters to make it mobile is icing on the cake. Start by cutting the stretchers to fit between the tool-stand legs (inset). Before bolting the stretchers to the tool stand, drill holes through the verticals of the angle iron and stand legs. Offset the holes to allow clearance for the caster stem. Make the connections with bolts and lock nuts. Install the casters by drilling holes through the horizontal legs of the angle iron…

Creating large through-dovetails often requires an expensive jig or mad hand-tool skills. For this project, you won’t need either. Instead, make your own templates to rout flawless dovetail joints. Supersized Dovetails 1 Glue up and cut to size panels for the top and bottom (A) and sides (B) [Exploded View, Drawing 1, Materials List]. Glue up an extra panel of the same width to use as a test piece. Tip! Cut the panels for the top, bottom, and sides (A, B) 1/16" longer than shown. Then cut the dovetails 1/32" proud of the surface and plane or sand them flush after assembly. 2 Laminate ½" plywood to make two 1×6×20" dovetail template blanks. On one of the blanks, lay out and cut to shape the fingers for the tail-routing template [Drawing 2, Photos A,…

Not to be snobby, but I rarely shop at a home center for woodworking tools and materials, unless it’s for a few extra screws or a can of finish for a project I’m working on. Even then, I usually know what I want, so I get in, get it, and get out. But with more time on my hands the past several months, I’ve lingered longer, roaming the aisles, and discovered there’s a whole lot more there for woodworkers than I expected. Here are a few sometimes-surprising ways to get the most woodworking value from your trip to these DIYer destinations. Different stores, even within the same chain, stock different items. Regional differences also affect selection. Tons of Tools Besides portable tools, such as cordless drills and circ saws, you can outfit a full…