I am proud to announce the first of what will be a monthly drawing for tools provided by one of my sponsors, Sommerfeld Tools for Wood. At this time, entries from North America only can be accepted - the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The May drawing will be for two sets of router bits, for two winners (click on the links to view the information for each set at the Sommerfeld web site):
The Starter Router Bit Set - a great way to start your router bit collection, or replace bits you already have, and
The Miniature Router Bit Set - perfect for small boxes, and all small projects requiring edge details and embellishments
Both router bit sets:
Winner #1 gets: Winner #2 gets:
Best way to view the photos above: Click on any image to open a larger image - after that you will see a navigation link near the top-right or top-left corner of the image. Clicking on either side will allow you to go to the next or the previous image (if one exists), until you have viewed all three images. To close the image window, either click outside of the image window, or click on the “Close” link at the bottom-right corner of the photo.
To enter this drawing for May, all you have to do is send me an e-mail with:
Your full name, and
Your address
I will draw names on Sunday, June 1, 2008; and I will announce the names of the winners right here on the blog the same day.
It is that simple!
Please start sending me your names and addresses to sandal_woods@bbwi.net , and read the blog to see if you won. Good luck to all!
I just got back to bandsawing yesterday. I tried your recommendations which were the same as proposed by the (Manufacturer’s name deleted) people. I did change the blade from the carbide 1″ blade to a “regular” 1″ blade with 3 tpi. It worked. I ran the 10″ board through the table saw cutting a 3″ cut on each edge, so i only had to band saw 4″; but it worked. so next time I’ll try to cut the full thickness.
Thanks for your help. I think the major issue was the tensioning, so I’ll go back and try again with the carbide blade. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll know its the blade that was the problem. Again, thanks.
Many of you will remember Ralph was having trouble resawing some 12-inch wide hard curly maple. He had pretty much exhausted his possibilities, and wrote to me requesting help beyond what the band saw manufacturer suggested. The links to his original request, and a follow-up, are:
Your results are VERY interesting! I have to wonder why the carbide blade gave you so much trouble. Could it be the tooth pattern? I never use carbide blades, so I am not familiar with the kinds of problems they could cause. But I am certainly glad that it seems that tension seems to have been the culprit in this case. I look forward to hearing from you on any follow-up work you might do with the band saw, Ralph.
I will post all additional updates, as everyone can benefit from his experience. Thanks for sharing this with everyone, Ralph!
This is the second installment of the Tools In Our Shop. As I mentioned in the first installment, it will be worthwhile to check any tools you plan to buy, to determine if the models I show may have been updated in later, more recent models:
Work in the shop… Tired… Sleepy… Worried… Son… Daughter… Spouse… Mortgage… Car payment… Office… Factory… Hospital… Stock Market… Bank Account… And then, BAM !!! We are hit with a kickback on the table saw, or our hand runs into the blade at the band saw, or… Well, you get the idea.The Wood Whisperer has designated the week of May 5 to May 9, 2008 as its first annual Woodworker’s Safety Week.This was Marc Spagnuolo’s idea.I applaud Marc’s idea, and I am glad to participate as a member of The Wood Whisperer Network.
This will be a week when we write about and discuss safety-related activities in the shop. It can be the tools we use; or the methods and procedures we use; or the music we listen to while we work; or whether we have company in the shop. Literally, anything that compromises or affects anything less than our total attention to what we do can influence whether we have an injury in the shop.
These five days will also be a yearly reminder to check ourselves, and determine if we are being safe in the shop. And, if we are not, we hope it will make us change the way we do things as we apply our wonderful craft! If you have a story to share, or photos, I would like to have you share it with the rest of us. I am sure we will all learn from your experience. Heck, it might even prevent MY next accident! I have a personal story or two to share with you, so make sure to read the blog.
To celebrate Safety Week I will have daily prizes for people signing up here on my blog. All you have to do is send me your name via e-mail to sandal_woods@bbwi.net , and you will be entered into all the drawings.
Sommerfeld Tools for Wood, one of my sponsors, has donated several items, to be given away on a daily basis for the five days of Safety Week.
You need register only once to be entered for all the give-away prizes. Sign up, and check in daily during the week of May 5 to May 9 to see if you have won. Thanks for participating - I look forward to your visits, and to learn about any incidents in YOUR shops. We can all learn from each other!
In this episode I introduce Leigh Industries’ FMT, their flagship Frame Mortise & Tenon (M&T) jig. This is the latest tool in our shop.
Why the FMT? Because it excels at cutting mortises and tenons with high accuracy. With this jig we have the following options:
Use the FMT to cut all integral tenons and mortises for a project. The result: Perfect-fitting M&Ts.
As an alternative, cut all the mortises with the FMT, and also shape long tenons with the FMT. These tenons are then cut off on the table saw, to make loose tenons. The result: Perfect-fitting M&Ts.
A secondary alternative: Use the FMT to cut all the mortises, and cut loose tenon stock on the table saw, followed by shaping on the router table. With this option the loose tenons may require some “shaving off” and tweaking to optimize the fit.
I have confirmed that the versatility, simplicity, and the ease of use of this jig was the correct decision for me. The best way I can explain this is as follows. I need to make only one layout for the mortises, and one layout for the tenons; I then select one router bit and its matching guide, and make test cuts to confirm that my layout is OK. From this point on I can make as many tenons and matching mortises as I need for a particular project.
Enjoy the video, and let me have your Comments, either here or via e-mail (please note the e-mail tab in the menu above).
Recognition: I thank my friend and woodworking colleague John Fry (Chisel and Bit Custom Crafted Furniture) for reviewing the draft of this post, and for his feedback.
You ARE here! It IS the same place, just a different look.
I decided to change the look-and-feel of the site. I did a little work, and spent some time revamping the site. I wanted a way to make reading my blog content more seamless, and hopefully this new look accomplishes that.
Let me know how much you like it. As always, I appreciate the time you spend here, and your help in supporting my work.
Thanks for dropping in!
Edit to add: Several people have already asked me about the image on the header. That is the shop on the left; our granddaughters love the little playground area on the right. We love the setting!
I have two new sponsors: Leigh Industries, and Sommerfeld Tools for Wood. This is exciting news for all my fellow woodworkers, as some new things are in the works.
Leigh makes the D4R, the D1600, and the Super Jigs dovetail jigs (12″, 18″, and 24″ widths), plus many templates, accessories, and attachments; and Leigh also makes the FMT Frame Mortise & Tenon jig.
Sommerfeld makes premium router bits, a router table and fence, cabinetmaking equipment, and also distributes other woodworking equipment such as Triton routers, etc.
I have been a customer of Leigh and Sommerfeld for a long time, and certainly before I started this blog. I will never take on a sponsor without knowing their products, using them, and backing them 100%. I stand behind the Leigh and Sommerfeld products.
In the future I will announce a new monthly contest, in partnership with Sommerfeld Tools. Marc Sommerfeld is very excited about this new venture; I know it will also be exciting to all of you. As soon as the new Sommerfeld web site is up and running 100%, we will announce the details.
If you get a chance, and you are not familiar with either Leigh or Sommerfeld, set aside some time and take a look to what my new sponsors have to offer. I provide below their respective logos, linked to their home page.
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I want everyone to know that Leigh and Sommerfeld are the only two sponsors I currently have. I am an Affiliate member of Woodcraft, Rockler, and Amazon.com (the Sandal Woods Store).
This will be a great resource to all of us who fear finishing in any way, shape, or form. If you fall in this category, and many of us do, it will become a must-have. So, please visit TheWooodWhisperer web site, and order it ASAP - Marc is working on a digital download option, and will issue an announcement as soon as it is available for download.
My name is Al Navas, and I live in NW Missouri with my bride of many years.
We are both woodworkers who love to be in the shop together, sharing wonderful times. She is a woodturner, and also carves and does pyrography. I do what many call flat work, which includes jewelry boxes to blanket chests; armoires to entertainment centers; church altars to prayer kneelers; custom cabinets to rustic furniture.
In our “spare” time in the shop we make toys, bird houses, etc., for our granddaughters. In late 2007 we finished serving as officers for the St Joseph Woodworkers Guild.
