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:
Some of the tools in our shop – Part 2
April 19, 2008 By
Announcing Woodworker’s Safety Week May 5-9, 2008
April 17, 2008 By
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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. |
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!
Intro to the Leigh FMT
April 16, 2008 By
Download Quicktime (*.mov)
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:
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Use the FMT to cut all integral tenons and mortises for a project. The result: Perfect-fitting M&Ts.
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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.
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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).
Relevant links:
Leigh FMT page
Leigh video page (the FMT is near the bottom of the page – 4 videos in total)
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.
The Leigh FMT at Woodcraft:
