December 2018

Woodworker's Journal

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Woodworker's Journal5 min read
Your Sentiments on Saws and Safety
A couple of issues ago, I pondered whether I was getting older and wiser — at least when it came to keeping the guards on my table saw — and wondered if I was alone in my journey to sagacity and safety. I heard back from a lot of you and, while you’l
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Anne Briggs, Marc Spagnuolo and Peter Brown
Anne Briggs is a woodworker, farmer, builder, blacksmith, musician and more. In short, she’s Anne of All Trades. Anne is not afraid to tackle a new skill, and she wants to share that enthusiasm for learning with her audience. Her YouTube channel (you
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Memory-saving Tips For The Shop
I buy silicone adhesives in smaller toothpaste style squeeze tubes to make better use of the contents before they dry out. Here’s a little gizmo I’ve created from a couple of dowel scraps to make dispensing the product easier. I cut a slit along the
Woodworker's Journal4 min read
Unplugged Power and Flat Rocks
Q I have considered going to battery-powered tools for a few years. However, I often don’t use a particular tool for a long period of time — say, anywhere from a week for a drill, to a few months for a circular saw. My question is this: Since I want
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Stand Your Drill
In response to August’s mystery tool, “I don’t think you have a tool so much as an accessory for an accessory,” said Scott Ryburn of Maplewood, Minnesota. The item belonging to Jim Allen of Lakeside, Oregon, is “a tilting table accessory for a drill
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Router Bits: Our No-Spin Zone
Thirty years ago, every serious woodshop had a shaper to cut complicated contours onto solid wood stock. Now router tables and router bits have replaced shapers in many shops. Large bits and better routers have led the way in this workshop trend. 1.
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
60,000 Toys from St. Louis Guild
Almost 25 years old, the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild is expected to reach a total of 60,000 toy donations by year’s end — thanks in part to events like “Toy Build Day” held at the local Rockler Woodworking and Hardware store. The Guild began in 1994,
Woodworker's Journal4 min readFashion
Earrings Turned On A Lathe
In discussion earlier this year, Woodworker’s Journal editor Joanna Takes and I thought that making some turned earrings would be a splendid holiday project. For me, relating the process brings back a flood of good memories of a friend. Although I ta
Woodworker's Journal1 min read
Making the Tools
For this tool, simply take a 1/4” high-speed steel bar or a drill bit and grind two bevels to make a skewed edge. It is like an oval skew, only better, and it’s great for cutting very small beads or for planing surfaces. The pointed tool is made from
Woodworker's Journal5 min read
Reversible Gameboard
Growing up in cold and snowy northern Minnesota winters, game night in front of a roaring fire with my family was always a treat. Competitive razzing and the occasional victory dance were tempered with genuine love and support for everyone seated at
Woodworker's Journal7 min read
3 Kitchen Gifts
You may have seen your favorite pizza restaurant using a pizza peel (essentially a giant spatula) to lift your pizza pie in and out of the oven. With this project, you’ll be able to replicate that restaurant experience in your own kitchen. The first
Woodworker's Journal6 min read
Holiday Spheres
Looking for a unique gift or special decoration this holiday season? Consider using your scroll saw’s versatility to create hollow spheres that are eye-catching, yet easy to make. The options are almost limitless: use standard hardwoods for year-roun
Woodworker's Journal12 min read
Limbert Desk Reimagined
As I flipped through an old Charles Limbert catalog, a postcard desk caught my attention. The desk appears in the 1915 catalog, labeled #801-24. While this petite desk was too small for my needs, the details of craftsmanship and design were fascinati
Woodworker's Journal1 min read
Jingle Balls
It’s easy to add a festive sound to your holiday spheres. 1. Select a jingle bell with a loud, clear sound, sized between 1" and 1½" in diameter. It will fit inside the sphere, but won’t fall through the bottom hole. (The author sourced hers from Ama
Woodworker's Journal11 min read
Routers: Woodworking’s Jack-Of-All-Trades
Whether you use a router made long before you were born, like the 1950s Stanley router at right, or one of the technologically advanced models built today, either machine can perform a range of essential woodworking tasks that can’t be bested by any
Woodworker's Journal8 min read
Past-to-Present Doll Cradle
When Woodworker’s Journal editor Joanna Werch Takes came to me with her idea for this article, I knew we were going to have fun with this weekend project. It all began when she emailed me several photos of a doll cradle her grandfather made for her w
Woodworker's Journal4 min read
Finish Shelf Life, and How to Extend It
What’s the shelf life of your favorite finish? Is there a way to store it that increases shelf life? How do I know when it’s time to bite the bullet and toss it? And finally, how do I legally and safely discard old finish? Manufacturers typically sug
Woodworker's Journal2 min readBotany
Did You Know?
The “Greeting Pine” in China’s Huangshan mountain range has its own bodyguard (the current one is the 19th guardian for the tree). His job entails protecting the tree from squirrels, monkeys — and tourists who might get too close and sweat on the tre
Woodworker's Journal5 min read
Measure, Cut, Fasten: Tools for All Your Tasks
The Rockler Convertible Benchtop Router Table can switch from table to handheld routing without changing the baseplate. The baseplate is round at one end to match the shape of most router bases, while the other, square end is ideal for use against st

Woodworker's Journal

More Issues From Woodworker's Journal