Tabla de contenidos para August 2018 en Woodworker's Journal

I’m guessing you wouldn’t say no if I offered you more great woodworking news, tips and project plans — for FREE! Plus, you get all this via email, so you can even check it out on your phone or tablet when you’re on the go. I’m talking about the Woodworker’s Journal Weekly email newsletter. If you’re not already one of the over 200,000 woodworkers who receive the Weekly, then you’re missing out. Every issue contains a mix of woodworking news, tool updates, videos, project plans and even a woodworking-themed crossword puzzle. Head over to our website to check out past issues and click on the Woodworker’s Journal Weekly sign-up box to subscribe. I think you’ll like what you see.…

Johnny Brooke - craftedworkshop.com Johnny Brooke is a woodworker who also mixes in an occasional metalworking project. Johnny has built some very useful workshop projects, including an outfeed table and French cleat storage wall. He also builds a lot of modern furniture and home furnishings. Recent projects include a large walnut credenza, baby crib and a headboard with an epoxy pour center section that lights up (pictured). His build videos feature most of the construction steps with a voiceover narration that fills in additional details about the build. He provides material and tool lists for each project and also offers his SketchUp design files for many of the projects. You can check out Johnny’s latest work and plans at craftedworkshop.com. Laura Kampf - laurakampf.com The first thing you’ll notice about…

The mystery tool from Barry Whiteaker of Walling, Tennessee, in our April issue, according to Al Accettola of Flemington, New Jersey, among many others, is “a rug hooking/tufting tool.” Sam Ebersole of Perry, Oklahoma, explained: “The ‘spoon side’ has a small hole through it into which a small piece of rag is inserted. The other side is a piercing device that pokes a hole in the backing (generally burlap).” Doris E. Williams of Pullman, West Virginia, further elaborated: “The two halves of the tool are worked with both hands, alternately sliding back and forth: one half punching a hole, and the other pushing the yarn through the space created by the needle and regulating the size of the loop.” Pat Kaiser of Averill Park, New York, noted that, “You work…

We typically credit the table saw as being the centerpiece power tool of the workshop, but here’s a challenger to that claim. When you think about virtually any woodworking or DIY effort that involves building something — indoor or outdoor furniture, cabinetry, jigs, shop fixtures and home improvement tasks — nearly every single project involves drilling at least one hole. And for that, most of us reach for a cordless drill/driver. But “drilling” is just part of its versatility. It also drives screws, cuts countersinks or counterbores, makes wood plugs and even saws holes. Then, with the right attachment, it can drum-sand, grind, rasp, abrade and buff. Heck, it can even stir paint or mix drywall mud! That’s asking a lot from a tool that basically holds a bit and…

The Milwaukee® Tool M18 FUEL™ 81⁄4" Table Saw with ONE-KEY™ is the world’s first 18-volt power saw, and runs on a newly redesigned POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor. The motor delivers 6,300 rpm, providing enough power to equal a 15-amp corded saw. The saw is powered by one of Milwaukee’s new M18 REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0 Batteries, which provides 50% more power, runs 50% cooler and delivers 33% more runtime than their 9-volt batteries in the line. With a rip capacity of up to 241⁄2" and a vertical capacity of up to 21⁄2", the table saw can rip up to 600 linear feet of material on a single charge. The REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence feature (also newly redesigned) ensures maximum performance under load and protects against overload and overheat. The 45-pound saw has a…

Where Did All These Guards Come From? STARTING WITH 10, ENDING WITH 10 … A few years ago, we did a survey and asked our group if they knew where the guard for their table saw was (never mind if they used it). The answer was a bit scary. Something like 25% of them could not find their guard. Truth be told, at one point in my woodworking career, I would have been in their number. Then — and I can’t pinpoint when it happened — safety gear started to become more important to me. Now, my guards are all in place, I have a collection of push sticks that might interest the Smithsonian, and my ear protection is Bluetooth®-enabled. What in the world happened? Perhaps the youthful feeling of…

Forming accurate holes can be a critical detail when building a chair, cabinet, wall shelf, cabinet door … well, you get the picture. Drill bits are key to creating those accurate holes. They come in many styles, materials and measurements to help you drill more accurately and effectively. 1. Standard, run-of-the-mill twist bits are OK, but do you know why so many woodworkers prefer brad point bits? Because they work better in wood. These bits are more expensive and a little harder to sharpen, but their effectiveness in wood and common sheet stock can’t be beat. They reduce tearout and are machined to extract wood waste more efficiently than twist bits designed for metal. The brad point also adds a degree of accuracy. 2. Tiny diameter drill bits break —…

Here’s a practical and contemporary table for your patio or deck that you can build in a weekend — but the really fun part is that you can turn up heat at the end and give it a charred shou sugi ban finish! “Shou sugi ban” roughly translates as “heat cypress plank,” or in this case, “fire cedar table.” It’s a centuries-old Japanese finishing technique that involves creating a 2- to 3-mm-deep char on the surface of the wood to stave off bug infestation, UV degradation and water-induced rot. When used on a softwood like cedar, the flames burn off the softer outer cellulose layer and leave the much harder charred lignin as the external wear layer. Your wood choice and other variables will greatly affect the longevity of projects…

Q I am in the process of completing a walnut Mid-century nightstand piece. The legs are solid walnut, as is the drawer face, and the case body is walnut plywood. None of these pieces are final sanded yet, and no finish has been applied. The legs and edge banding are the same walnut color tone, but the walnut plywood is another walnut color tone, slightly lighter/grayer than the legs or banding. The drawer face, which I cut to show the grain pattern, has a little bit of red in the walnut color. My question is, how do I ensure that the finished piece does not look like three types of wood? How do you bring all these color tones together, evening them out? Greg Stringer Monroe, North Carolina A Start…

Most woodturners probably don’t think of the desert as a prime location for found wood, and that is exactly what David Crawford surmised when he moved in 2012 from timber-rich Pennsylvania to Phoenix, Arizona. “I was struggling to find a reliable wood source until my wife suggested sending emails to all the tree-felling/trimming companies in Phoenix,” explained David. “I sent 23 emails and received only one response. Since then, I’ve had a great working relationship with that particular tree trimmer. “Once or twice a year, I give his wife a large bowl from the green wood he’s given me. I use other sources including fellow turners, craigslist.org (which has provided me with some great wood), friends, neighbors, and one or two company wood yards I’m able to access. The downed…

With a safe space set up and all your tools ready, you can start the burn process. I suggest trying it out first on either a scrap piece or the bottom side of the tabletop to get used to the speed you need to move the flame. You may be surprised by how slow this actually is to get a nice, even finish — the wood doesn’t instantly catch fire. Take your time to get the feel of the technique, and be careful not to overcook the surfaces. While a deep alligator scale finish looks very cool, it’s probably too coarse for a tabletop. But, the amount of burn and texturizing is, of course, up to you. When burning the legs, be careful not to incinerate and damage the small…