Woodworker's Guide

A Table Saw Extension Router Table

Woodworker's Guide — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:13:38 +0000

I recently got around to moving my router from a standalone router table to an extension on my table saw. The reason for the move was to give me some added floor space with the elimination of the router table.

This was a move that was planned for some time but like most things of this nature the time was never right until now. I had always had the extension on the table saw and had often thought about it but the deciding factor was when I was able to pick up the router fence addition for my table saw’s Accusquare fence for half the cost on Kijiji. This now allows for fast and accurate alignment, a big improvement over the old one. I also installed a miter slot for a miter gauge, featherboards, etc.

In addition to the router table top I also enclosed the router with a cabinet that has two drawers near the bottom. I use one drawer for my router accessories and the other for the table saw accessories. I also installed a switch on the outside of the cabinet to remotely turn the router on and off.

Here are some more photos of the new router table:

Continue reading 'A Table Saw Extension Router Table'

Share This Article

Some Sia Sanding Solutions At The NWG

Woodworker's Guide — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:30:39 +0000

After a bit of a scramble, this month’s meeting of the Nova Woodturners Guild was held at our local Busy Bee Tools store. The feature of the evening was a presentation by our longtime friend, Mel Larsen from SIA Abrasives.

Mel is always a welcomed visitor because he brings a wealth of information on the latest and greatest products and happenings in the abrasive world.

On this visit he introduced us to several new products in the SIA line including foam abrasives, foam sanding blocks, the 1950 Siaspeed line and abrasive wool. Some can be seen here in a photo of the samples that were available to us:

Continue reading 'Some Sia Sanding Solutions At The NWG'

Share This Article

The Atlantic Woodworkers Sharpen Up

Woodworker's Guide — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:54:36 +0000

This month’s meeting of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association was held at Home Depot, our home away from home. The feature of the evening was a presentation by member Jay Perry, who demonstrated the Veritas Mk.II Power Sharpening System.

Jay, as you may remember from the Seminar On Sharpening Plane Blades that I attended last year, has taught at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design for over 20 years, works for Lee Valley and has a strong passion for planes and for keeping them very sharp.

He demonstrated the sharpening capabilities of the Veritas Mk.II Power Sharpening System beginning with an old plough plane blade that was in a pretty rough state. However, after only a few seconds with the 80 grit sanding disk the rust and pits were removed, as you can see here:

Continue reading 'The Atlantic Woodworkers Sharpen Up'

Share This Article

Little Old Wine Stopper Turner Me

Woodworker's Guide — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:35:00 +0000

Here are a few wine bottle stoppers that I turned recently. Of these ten stoppers six are made of Cocobolo and four are made of Zebrawood and all are done in the ‘flame’ style. I found that this seems to be the most popular shape.

I was inspired to make these after my daughter requested stoppers for her three female friends from work (the four guys got pens) which she wanted to give as gifts when she finished up her summer work term.

It had been a while since I turned any wine stoppers so it took a bit of practice on some scrap wood to get the feel and motion to getting the curve just right.

There were a couple of changes since my last foray into turning stoppers, most notably the switch to the chrome base instead of the cork base. I believe that the chrome base adds an air of elegance and when combined with an exotic wood makes for very attractive pieces.

Continue reading 'Little Old Wine Stopper Turner Me'

Share This Article

A Kickoff To The NWG 2009-2010 Season

Woodworker's Guide — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:41:41 +0000

We kicked off the 2009-2010 season of the Nova Woodturners Guild the other night and if this meeting is any indication of what we can expect for the rest of the year we are in for a great time!

The meeting began with a meet and greet, a chance to catch up on what we all did this past summer. As you can imagine, with over 30 members in attendance there was a buzz in the air from the multitude of conversations going on at the same time and the excitement of a new year. It was just like ‘old home’ week!

We met at Halifax Specialty Hardwoods which has become our kickoff spot for the past couple of years. The large retail and shop areas make for a welcomed outing and is very conducive for a get-together such as this, a place where we can peruse while chatting.

Once the meeting got underway it was quickly handed over to Halifax Hardwood Specialties owner/operator Darryl Vallis who introduced a couple of new species, Ebony and Tigerwood, that are now specially cut to sizes of interest to woodturners. Then it was out to the shop for an introduction to their new six-head moulder:

Continue reading 'A Kickoff To The NWG 2009-2010 Season'

Share This Article

AWA – First Meeting Of 2009-2010 Season

Woodworker's Guide — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:52:47 +0000

Well, once again we kicked off a new season of the Atlantic Woodworkers Association the other night at Halifax Specialty Hardwoods. This has become a welcomed annual event which is always enjoyed by the AWA members and the shop owners alike.

The meeting began with the members catching up on what each other did over the summer and what project plans they have in mind for this winter, all while perusing the more than forty species of exotic and domestic stock on hand.

A short business meeting was held with updates given regarding the club’s by-laws, a call-out for the website member bios and project photos and a member was appointed to update and clarify our business discount opportunities. There was also an update on the bunk building project that we did over the summer.

At this point, Darryl Vallis, the owner/operator of Halifax Specialty Hardwoods, took over the meeting and started with an auction of two large, great looking pieces of Curly Maple which, like most of our auctions, led to a bit of a hot and heavy bidding war.

He followed this with the introduction of two new species of exotic hardwoods; Indian Rosewood and Shedua, a rich, dark, yellowish-brown colored wood with black stripes that comes from West Africa. From then it was on to one of the highlights of the shop tour, the introduction of their latest addition, a six head wood moulder:

Continue reading 'AWA – First Meeting Of 2009-2010 Season'

Share This Article

James Krenov – Dead At Age 89

Woodworker's Guide — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:48:41 +0000

James Krenov – 1920 -2009

Legendary woodworker and author James Krenov passed away yesterday.
He was eighty-nine.

He inspired many through the College of the Redwoods furniture program
that he founded in 1981, as well as through his many books including
A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook, The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking
and The Impractical Cabinetmaker.

He created a unique style of furniture that in building one’s own
has become a rite of passage for many woodworkers.
You can see examples here at The James Krenov Official Website

It is a sad, sad day for all…

Share This Article

Pens, Pens And More Pens

Woodworker's Guide — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:22:59 +0000

My daughter is finishing up her Summer work term today and she wanted to give her coworkers a memento in thanks for their support over the past few months. She wanted to give the four guys turned wooden pens (and wine stoppers for the three gals) so I spent last week turning a whole slew of pens. I had quite a few kits on hand so I though, “Why stop at four when you can make twenty?!”

Turning wooden pens is what got me started in woodturning and I still find turning them lots of fun. In a relatively short time you can create a beautiful gift.

I find ‘pen production’ to be much easier than just turning a pen or two. It seems that when you get into the swing of things they just go so much faster and easier too!

Here’s a closer view of the pens:

Continue reading 'Pens, Pens And More Pens'

Share This Article

A Pretty Pendant Of Zebrawood

Woodworker's Guide — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:47:41 +0000

Here’s a pendant that I turned for my wife a few months ago. It is made from a small piece of African Zebrawood that now measures 2 1/4″ in diameter. The offset hole is about 7/8″ in diameter.

The pendant was rubbed with just a bit of beeswax that was then dried and buffed to give it a smooth, satiny finish.

My wife created the copper beadwork and chain to change this simple piece of wood into a fine piece of jewelry. She is quite pleased with the results so I see making more of these in the future.

Here’s a photo of the pendant and chain:

Continue reading 'A Pretty Pendant Of Zebrawood'

Share This Article

The AAW 2009 Symposium Exhibits

Woodworker's Guide — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:32:44 +0000

The highpoint of the American Association of Woodturners Symposium, if there can be anything above what I have already written about , would have to be the exhibits. This is where one gets to get up close to hundreds of woodturnings by the best turners in the world!

There were several different exhibits that included the Instant Gallery, The Spindle exhibit, exhibits by Gary Knox Bennett and Merryll Saylan, the Chapter Collaborative Challenge and the Spirit of the Southwest exhibition.

The Instant Gallery is an annual event where the attendees to the Symposium are invited to bring pieces in for this presentation. Each year, the attendees bring a wide range of beautiful pieces from all skill levels, from novice to professional.

This is the largest of the exhibits with the last estimate that I heard was around 900 pieces! Unfortunately, although I took hundreds of photos, I can only post a small sampling here:

Continue reading 'The AAW 2009 Symposium Exhibits'

Share This Article