Category Archives: Uncategorized

New Quote Added to “Quotables”

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I hope that you are enjoying watching my progress as I create the Maple Trestle Table, working out the design on the fly (maybe you’re even following me live on Twitter).  It is a very involved build and provides plenty of challenges.

For your benefit I try to document my progress as authentically as possible, showing my intent, technique, and results whether they are good or bad.  I want you to feel as if you are poking your head into the shop every now and then to see what’s happening.

Whether you are a passionate woodworker of someone who appreciates fine furniture and original ideas, I hope that you find this build (and blog) to be interesting and informative.  But I would like to remind you that while you can learn a lot by reading, you can learn far more by applying yourself.

Years teach us more than books.

- Berthold Auerbach

Find this quote, along with many other interesting quotes on the page titled Quotables.

How to Collect Art

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I don’t watch much television but one show I do like to watch is the local, daily program Urban Rush.  There are a wide variety of topics covered on the show.

Recently, hosts Fiona Forbes and Mike Eckford spoke with Ted Lederer, owner of Elliot Lewis Gallery, Inc. about collecting art.  His message was to buy what you love and are able to afford.

Here is the interview.  (Duration – 8:32)

New Quote Added to “Quotables”

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My friend Charles showed me this video about Ron Fuller who makes wooden toys and automata.  His products are fun, but not particularly inspiring to me.  However, I love his life philosophy.  I’ve also added it to my list of Quotables.

My philosophy of life, really, is to be able to do exactly what you want to when you want to.

- Ron Fuller

Australian Wood Review #74 (March 2012)

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My most recent woodworking article (which I co-wrote with Charles Mak) is featured in issue #74 (March 2012) of Australian Wood Review (AWR).

Our article shows how to build a folding ladder that Charles designed and I built.  The ladder does not fold the way that you would expect – the rungs have pivot points at the ends and disappear into the rails.  You can order your copy from the AWR store.

 

Yep, that's me in the lead photo!

Charles is a woodworker who lives in Calgary.  He is a maker of automata and a frequent contributor of tips to woodworking magazines.  (His first published article was about automata and appeared in Lee Valley’s September 2008 Woodworking Newsletter.)

Sheep Shearer, an automata by Charles Mak

Laser-Like Accuracy from a Mitre Saw

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When setting your mitre saw to match the line you’ve drawn on your workpiece, a laser can be helpful. However, my mitre saw doesn’t have a laser so my usual method is to simply take a test cut, then adjust, take another test cut and repeat until I get it set correctly. Serge describes a better way in this post from his blog, Woodworking Hobbyist’s Workshop.

 

You don’t have a mitre saw featuring a laser beam? No problem, me neither. However with this tip you will achieve results with the same accuracy. It only takes few seconds more. Layout your workpiece with an unknown angle and drop it on the miter saw bed.

First, lift the saw guard and insert a small scrap about 2″ long in the sliding slot between the front end and the stop (you may need to adjust its length according to your miter saw). This will keep the guard up for the setup.

Second, secure a 3″ X 6″ temporary guide, made out of a thin scrap, to the saw blade with a spring clamp.

Third, remove the small 2″ scrap to free the blade guard (if not the saw will freeze) and let it sit gently on the workpiece, as shown.

Finally, keep the saw down with your right hand so the temporary guide will meet your workpiece while your left hand will align the guide (and the saw blade) with your layout line.

This is laser accurary without the laser itself. Just a little left- and right- hand coordination.

Upcoming Review: Mirka CEROS

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When the Mirka CEROS (Compact Electric Random Orbit Sander) was released in North America about a year ago, I purchased the 6″ model.

I plan to do a review of the sander, which I use with Mirka’s Abranet discs and a Festool dust extractor.

If you have any questions about the sander which you would like me to address, please ask them in the comments section.

Here are two other posts pertaining to the Mirka CEROS:
1.  Combining a Mirka CEROS with a Festool CT26; and
2.  Hand-Carving Threads (to Connect a Mirka CEROS to a Festool 27mm Hose).

New Quote Added to “Quotables”

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I recently read this quote and thought I’d share it with you.  I’ve also added it to my page on this blog, titled Quotables.  Check out the other interesting, enlightening, and inspiring quotes I’ve compiled.

There are two types of fools: one says, “This is old, therefore it is good”; the other says, “This is new, therefore it is better.”

- William Ralph Inge

Every Workshop Needs a Br’all

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This post is part of Get Woodworking Week, an initiative started by Tom Iovino of Tom’s Workbench, to build interest and participation in woodworking.

I know that every one of my readers except for Paul-Marcel, for whom I made the first one, is scratching their head wondering what the heck a Br’all is, what it does, and why they haven’t heard of it.

A Br’all is a shop accessory that I think every shop should have.  I designed it to do one thing and one thing only.  It does not require a great investment in either time, tools or materials to make, so it is a great Get Woodworking Week project.

The first video is the one you should definitely watch.  I show you how to make a Br’all using different hand tools, techniques and the purpose of the Br’all.  (Duration: 13 minutes, 14  seconds; the high-speed segments are 2x speed.)

The second video shows the letter carving I added.  (Duration: 7 minutes, 12 seconds; the high-speed segments are 4x speed.)

Here are some pictures of my bench-clearing Br’all.