Reflections on the tools that I use in my shop. If I were to do it again, what would I do differently?
An experiment to see how quickly a wooden cutting board is rendered unusable I made this cutting board and designed it to fail, but it didn't fail as I expected! Here are the "bad decisions" that I made in an attempt to accelerate the failure of the cutting board. Low density wood I used butternut, … Continue reading When Something is Expected to Fail but Doesn’t
During Artwalk, I showed my work in Gallery Bistro (2411 Clarke Street) with three other artists: Bronwen Belenkie, Clive Tucker and Mandara Lebovitz. Our exhibition will continue through April 28th. The gallery is open 10am-3pm Tuesday through Sunday. Background The building in which I exhibited was recently bought by husband-wife duo Rainer (pronounced Rye-ner) and Helen Daniels. There is a … Continue reading Stories from Artwalk, Part 1
Freud's 24-tooth Heavy Duty Rip Blade (LM72M010) is what is installed in my table saw 90% of the time. The blade has 24 teeth 0.126" wide, ground flat on the top and pitched forwards at 20 degrees. These characteristics make it the most versatile and most used saw blade in my shop. As you would expect, … Continue reading Flat-Top Ripping Blade is King
Background I have had the 6" Mirka CEROS (Compact Electric Random Orbit Sander) for about a year. Although I have not used it in a production shop environment, I used it extensively for sanding sculptural work and, to a lesser degree, for flat surfaces. I have had absolutely no issues with it. When I purchased the Mirka … Continue reading Review of the Mirka CEROS
I have many hand planes, but this Squirrel-Tail Palm Plane is among my most-used. This plane is a very simple tool. The investment-cast steel body incorporates a squirrel-tail handle that nestles in my palm and a divot on the toe where I can set my index finger. The mouth width is non-adjustable. Both the plane's sole and blade's … Continue reading Squirrel-Tail Palm Plane
My LAST POST showed what the hand plane looked like out of the box. This post shows what the plane was able to do. While setting up the plane, I took note of the slop in the lateral- and depth-adjusters. The depth adjuster had 3/4 of a turn of slop and the lateral adjuster had a … Continue reading WoodRiver #5 V3 Bench Plane Review – In Use
A couple months ago, while visiting some friends in Arizona, I went to a Woodcraft store and bought a WoodRiver #5 V3 bench plane. While I don't need any more bench planes, I was curious to see just how good the much-talked-about WoodRiver planes really were. From what I have read, Version 3 (V3) is … Continue reading WoodRiver #5 V3 Bench Plane Review – Unpackaged
When I first set up my dust collection network, I purchased some of these blast gates. The blast gates were used to control air flow by sliding the gate in a track, either allowing or blocking air flow. I closed gates to block airflow to tools not being used, thus increasing the suction to the … Continue reading Blasted Blast Gates
When I write an article for my blog, I file it under one or more of the following categories: Projects; Thinking Outloud, So to Speak; and Working Smarter (Not Harder). There is now a category called Beyond Hype. The articles under this category are based upon my experiences with woodworking-related tools, accessories and supplies about … Continue reading New Category: Beyond Hype
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 