Brian Boggs is a rare breed of woodworker. He not only is a world renowned chair maker, but he also is a great teacher and communicator. Those two qualities often times don't go together, but Brian Boggs seemed as comfortable teaching 140 woodworkers in an auditorium as he would one on one.

In the video Brian talks about:

Brian talks about:

Brian talks about:

    * How he got started building chairs

    * How he designs chairs

    * Different joints in chair making

    * Grain orientation

    * Gluing up chairs

    * Designing to fit the human body

    * Proper angles

    * and much more

You can check out our video here.

• Chair Design: Brian Boggs

• Dovetailing: Pins vs. Tails: Frank Klausz, Roy Underhill

• Understanding Sharpening Media: Ron Hock, Joel Moskowitz, Robin Lee

• Understanding Western Saws: Mike Wenzloff, Joel Moskowitz, Christopher Schwarz

• Bevel-Up vs. Bevel-Down Planes: Robin Lee, Thomas Lie-Nielsen, Christopher Schwarz

• Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding: Christopher Schwarz

• Mortise and Tenon: Three Solid Methods: Frank Klausz, Mike Dunbar, Roy Underhill

• Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use: Christopher Schwarz

• Bench Planes: Deneb Puchalski, Ron Hock

• Saw Sharpening: Mike Wenzloff

And guess what, I captured it all on video! I'll be editing and putting up the video over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

While I was there somebody ask me what the best part of my time had been. I can honestly say that as much as I enjoyed the classes the absolute best part of my three days in Berea was getting to meet so many enthusiastic woodworkers. The place was absolutely buzzing with excitement the whole time.

I appreciate all the folks who came up and told me they enjoyed my website and the interviews that I've been doing with the instructors over the past few months. Thanks for taking the time to do that, it meant a lot!

Another really cool thing that I got to do was to hang out and talk with many of the other bloggers out there on the Net. Folks like Matt Vanderlist, Mitch Roberson, Al Navas, Neil Lamens and Kari Hultman. I encourage you to visit each of these sites for more information about the conference and to get their unique perspective.

]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/back-from-the-woodworking-in-america-conference/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/back-from-the-woodworking-in-america-conference/ Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:17:57 -0500 Gramercy Tools, makers of premium hand tools such as handsaws, brushes, holdfasts, and much more. He also runs a successful retail business in Brooklyn, NY under the name Tools for Working Wood. However, Joel's first business in the woodworking world came as a virtual woodworking museum called what else but Museum of Woodworking Tools. This site has an incredible amount of information on woodworking tools, and just like any museum, the "displays" are constantly changing.

In our interview we discuss:

• Joel's interest in the history of tools.

• His first job out of college designing tools for Black & Decker.

• How the Museum of Woodworking Tools was developed simply as a demo for another job.

• Popular Woodworking Magazine has picked several of Gramercy Tool's as "Best New Tools" for the year including their Crosscut Carcase saw as a 2008 winner

• Joel's collection of woodworking books and catalogs (one the best in the world)!

• What Joel sees happening in the hand tool market in the next 10 years.

The first tool that Dave made was a marking knife. This knife is designed specifically for smaller scale precision joinery. This little marking knife was bought by Christopher Schwarz and is now one of his favorite tools. To me, that's high praise. Then in the May/June issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine, the Blue Spruce marking knife was vote "Best Overall" in a line up of 15 other marking knives.

Dave has also expanded his line of tools to include mallets, awls, dovetail chisels, and more.

In our interview with Dave you'll get to hear:

• How Dave's background in engineering and specifically working with metal helped launch his new career.

• Why Dave chose a marking knife as his first tool to produce.

• What lead him to give up his engineering job to become a full-time tool maker.

• What keeps him motivated to put in the long hours needed to run a successful business (other than his mortgage!)

• Insight into what it's like to strike out on your own: Things he expected and some things that he didn't.

Dave also talks about a new tool line that he's working on. He's tight lipped about it during the interview, but he hopes to unveil it at this year's Woodworking in America Conference. When I learn about it, you'll be the first to know. Stay tuned!

To listen to the interview go here.

(Just found out at the Woodworking in America Conference that Dave's new tool line is a set of Bench Chisels.  These are just as beautiful as his dovetail chisels with a much thicker blade to withstand the abuse of mallet work.)

We'd love to hear from you.  Leave any questions or comments about our interview with Dave below. 

Craig

One such retail store that I can almost always count on having a booth at shows, in and around the southeast, is Peachtree Woodworking Supply.

One of the things that I like best about Peachtree Woodworking, is that they carry all the tools and equipment that you would expect, but they carry many items that the "big guys" don't.

We recently did a video review of one of those products. A solid cast iron router table top.

You can see the video review here.

The video goes through my experience of installing the router table top as a side extension to my table saw. The video covers most things, but there were a few things that I omitted to save time that I'd like to cover here.

First off, I want to briefly review the installation process, and my findings of the router table top.

Here is my review:

I have rated certain findings with a letter grade below, (A) - (F), with A being a superior rating and so forth.

Cast Iron Router Table Top from Peachtree Woodworking Supply:

Weight: 44 lbs.

Manufactured: Taiwan

Fit and Finish: (A) No visible defects, machining was good.

Flatness: (A) Table Top was dead flat using a straight edge that is
machined flat to within .003 over the entire length.

Table Size: 1 1/2" x 15" x 27"

Insert: Phenolic insert with two removable rings.

Router Plate Opening: 9 1/4" x 11 3/4" or 9" x 12"

Miter Gauge Slot: 3/8" x 3/4"

Installation: (B+) Everything went smoothly until it came time to install the
fence rails to the router table top. The holes didn't line up for my particular brand fence. If a slot had been machined into the edge of the top instead of just a hole, it could accommodate more fence systems. Not a big deal though, a new hole had to be drilled into the edge of the top. (Instructions did state that this could happen).

Instruction Manual: (A) Good instruction manual, very straight forward.

Dust Collection: (C) Dust collection seems to be a bit of an after thought. The parts supplied work well at pulling dust away, but there wasn't a clear way to attach it to the fence system. Double sided turners tape is what I used although epoxy would probably hold it as well.

Aluminum Fence: (B) The fence I used was 32" with a 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 3 1/4" mouth opening. I found that the aluminum fence needed to be shimmed slightly to get it to exactly 90 degrees. The instructions do state that the aluminum fence is made from a non-machined extrusion and shimming may be required to bring the fence square. For the price of the aluminum fence, I think this is acceptable (see price break down below).

Uni-T Fence:  (A)  There's a Mini T-Track mounted on the top (2 tracks) and front (1 track) of the fence, which allows for the use of many add on items, such as: featherboards,
stop blocks and more. The UHMW insert fences are replaceable, & sacrificial, so you can make zero clearance cut outs for any router bit.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Should you use your table saw's fence for your router table?

At first glance, one of the big conveniences of putting your router table insert into your table saw's extension wing is that you can also use the same fence.  Many folks do just that and make it work.  But my vote is to use a separate fence for the router table.  Here's why:

Making very small adjustments to a table saw fence is difficult, (the exception to this would be the Incra fence) and let's be honest, not usually needed.  Adjustments of 1/32" doesn't  make much difference when you're ripping a board.  However, that same measurement can affect the look of a profile cut with a router bit.

By using a dedicated fence for your router that is adjustable on both ends you can easily make adjustments of 1/32".  Simply lock in one side of the fence and pivot the other end either in or out.  Because the router bit is in the middle, but your adjustments are pivoting only on one end, very small adjustments can be made.

Whether you use an aftermarket fence system like the one above or build your own, you'll soon come to appreciate the advantages of a dedicated router table fence.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pricing

Cast Iron Router Table Top:  $229.99

Aluminum Fence:  $29.99

Uni-T Fence:  $69.99

Fence Dust Port:  $3.99

Cast Iron Router Table Top with Supreme Fence Package:  $339.99

Overall Scores:

Cast Iron Router Table Top:     (A)

Fence System:                              (B)

Value:                                            (B)

Overall:                                         (B+)

Having changed from a pressed steel extension wing on my contractor saw to this cast iron router table has made a big difference in the vibration level of my table saw.  Plus I'm enjoying the added benefits of the router table being grouped together with my BIG THREE (table saw, jointer, planer).  This is about as close to a European combo machine as you can get without forking out the big money!

His interest culminated with the purchase of The Fine Tool Journal in 1995. After growing the journal for two years, Clarence then purchased Brown Auction Services in 1997 which is the number one antique tool auction company in the world!

Here's some of the things you'll learn in the interview:

• What exactly is the Fine Tool Journal?

• Where do the tools come from that the Fine Tool Journal and Brown Auction Services sales?

• What are some of the differences between antique tools and some of the hand tools being produced today by high-end manufactures?

• What goes on at the two large auctions that Brown Auction Services put on each year and what you can expect to find?

• How much the world record Sandusky center wheel plow plane went for? (This will blow your mind!)

• How you can find antique tools you're looking for using Clarence's companies.

And of coarse we'll talk about what Clarence will be talking about at the Woodworking in America Conference:

• Hands-On Clinic: Rehabbing Old Tools

• Vintage Tools: Their Advantages, Disadvantages and Value

Leave your comments below.]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/interview-with-clarence-blanchard/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/interview-with-clarence-blanchard/ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:46:59 -0500 Popular Mechanics website. They ask some random questions to test your DIY skills using a point system. Take the quiz below and see how you fair (and NO Googling during the quiz!)

I scored 1300 out of 1500 points, let me know how you did by leaving your score below and what you thought about the questions asked.

The lead article in this months Popular Mechanics magazine is, "100 Skills Every Man Should Know". Sorry ladies, I didn't come up with the title.

The 100 skills are broken down into 10 categories. Take a look at the skills they came up with and let me know what else you think could have been added to this list and what you would take out as being unworthy.

Just to start things out I'll add a couple of easy ones that I think they left out: Changing the oil in your car under the Automotive category and how to use a compass under the Primitive Skills category.

Let's hear what you came up with!

100 Skills Every Man Should Know]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/essential-diy-skills-quiz/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/essential-diy-skills-quiz/ Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:58:04 -0500 LifeHacker. It's a blog that offers practical advice on getting things done efficiently, something that I'm constantly striving to do.

A little while back a post was written entitled, "The 'Greater Depression' Can Be a DIY Renaissance".This post got my attention. Now, I don't agree with some of the things talked about in the post, but I wholeheartedly agree with one thing: We are in a DIY Renaissance.

This is a phenomenon that has been growing for years, which is seen by the proliferation of DIY retail stores such as Home Depot, and Lowes in the US, and by the popularity of HGTV and DIY Network on television. But, in my opinion we've not seen anything yet.

With the events that have happened here in the US and around the world over the past two weeks, many are worried (to say the least and for good reason) about the economy. And the first thing most folks do when hard times hit is to 'tighten the belt'.

People that lived through the Great Depression had to do things for themselves out of necessity. They didn't call a plumber when the sink stopped up, they didn't call a carpenter to build a shed, they didn't call an electrician when the light switch had a short. They either fixed these problems themselves or pooled their skills together with neighbors and helped each other out.

The DIY renaissance that has been going on for the past 10 to 20 years has come about because of our prosperity. Many people take pride in doing things for themselves, we derive pleasure from it. With more discretionary income than any time in history, people poured money into their homes.

The coming DIY explosion will will be one of necessity. People simply won't have the extra money to pay others to do the things they can do (or learn to do) for themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I know our economy will bounce back, it always has. I don't think we're all going to end up like Ma and Pa on Little House on the Prairie (although, for some of us, that doesn't sound too bad), but a little self sufficiency is going to be helpful.

The problem is, so many people were never taught self sufficiency. For many, self sufficiency means they know how to use Google to find a plumber online to fix the clog in their sink.

As a group, woodworkers are some of the most self sufficient people I know. It's in our blood. It's one of the reasons we build with our hands. We would rather do-it-ourselves than pay someone to do it for us. But don't be fooled, that is not the norm in my view.

Don't keep all those skills you have locked up inside. Share them with someone you know who can benefit from them whether it's with a neighbor, friend, or your kids.

Life skills aren't taught in our schools for the most part anymore, so it's more important than ever to pass down your knowledge to the next generation. Do you remember when you were young and had more time than money? That time allowed you to play and explore, to figure things out for yourself. Kids today just want to play video games and adults just want to sit in front of the TV and be entertained. Some of that mentality may have to change with the economic changes facing us.

Maybe it's time that we start investing in life skills again as a country and not just the biggest HDTV we can fit into our living rooms. Skills like woodworking, gardening, welding, and DIY in general may end up being very important.

Something to ponder. Let me know what you think.

Craig

P.S. And if you need some help or know of someone who needs help teaching kids woodworking, check out our book, Woodshop 101 for Kids.]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/collapse-of-the-economy-means-a-resurgence-of-all-things-doityourself/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/collapse-of-the-economy-means-a-resurgence-of-all-things-doityourself/ Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:42:02 -0500 If you made a check list of the necessary tools that someone should have on hand for general maintenance, Vise-Grip locking pliers, would be on most people's list. I know that when I was growing up, I HAD to take everything apart to figure out how it worked (not much has changed). One of the tools that I loved using was my Dad's Vise-Grips.

I still have vivid memories of sitting in my parent's driveway, with my bicycle completely disassembled, parts lying all around me, scratching my head trying to figure out how to put the thing back together.

Now, my Dad had a large cabinet that was full of tools, everything you could imagine (which was Heaven for a child like me). But even with all those tools at my disposal, most of the time I found you could get away with a few basic tools to do most jobs. A Philips and flat head screwdriver, three or four wrenches, and Vise-Grip locking pliers.

This stroll down memory lane has a point. The folks at Irwin Industrial Tools, makers of Vise-Grip locking tools, want your stories.

Irwin Industrial Tool's "Tell Us Your IRWIN VISE-GRIP Story" is a promotion whereby consumers are asked to share the different and unique ways they have used VISE-GRIP locking pliers or wrenches to solve various problems either in the workplace or at home.

The grand prize is an IRWIN VISE-GRIP custom-branded chopper valued at $25,000 built by East Coast Custom Cycles.

For more information and to enter the contest, go to:

www.irwin.com/vise-grip]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/how-do-you-use-your-visegrip/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/how-do-you-use-your-visegrip/ Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:29:12 -0500 Robin Lee

If you're on any of the woodworking forums around the Internet and asked a question to the group about Lee Valley Tools, or Veritas Tools,, you undoubtedly received a direct response from the President of the company, Robin Lee. And if you've ever bought any tools from the company (and if you haven't, you're doing yourself a disservice) you'll get that same down home friendly service. This is no surprise coming from a company whose philosophy on customer service is to "treat each customer like they're your friend".

Lee Valley has bee making some of the best woodworking, hardware, and garden tools in the business for the past 30 years.

Rob may be President of a large corporation but that doesn't mean that he just sits behind a big desk pushing paper. In fact Rob holds several patents on woodworking tools and is very active in new tool development.

Here are some of the topics that we covered during our interview:

• The first product that Lee Valley shipped (hint: It's not a woodworking tool).

• Why the customer base in woodworking differs from any other business out there (this one will make you proud to be a woodworker).

• What does Rob Lee do in his spare time?

• What's the best part of running Lee Valley Tools? (Hint: It has something to do with being the equivalent of a rock star!)

• What all goes into new product development?

• Ever wondered what the name Veritas means and why it was choosen?

• And much, much more!

• Modern Tools: Tolerances and Myths

• How Modern Tools are Designed and Made

• Bevel-Up vs. Bevel-Down Planes

• Infill Roundtable: Construction, Mechanics and Use

To hear our interview with Rob Lee go Here

Please leave your questions or comments below.]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/interview-with-robin-lee/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/interview-with-robin-lee/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:56:03 -0500 every conceivable subject concerning woodworking.  But the one  
question I am asked more than any other in one form or another is  
this:  How do I get started in woodworking?

Just the other day I received an email from a lady named Jeanne.  She  
was bitten by the woodworking bug and went out and bought a bunch  
of woodworking equipment.  Being a self proclaimed "newbie", she  
quickly became overwhelmed.  So much so that her new  
purchases were still in their boxes, unopened, 6 months  
later!

Sadly, this is not uncommon for our hobby.  People get caught up in  
the excitement of starting a new hobby.  They go out and buy a lot of  
expensive tools, thinking they will be cranking out furniture by the  
weekend only to find out they don't know where to begin.

Another common thing that happens to folks starting out in this hobby  
is what I call, "the paralysis of analysis".   Many think that they  
must know how to do everything before they ever touch a piece of wood  
or a tool.  The trouble with this approach is that you will never learn all there is to know about this craft, and you will never learn how to do things simply by reading, listening, or watching others do it.  You  
must jump in at some point and get your feet wet.

Over the next several weeks I'm going to be introducing several new  
articles and videos on, "Getting Started in Woodworking" with the  
intent of helping those of you just starting out in this craft.

Now, I know you may not be in the "beginner" group with your  
woodworking skills.  In fact, you may have several decades of  
experience in this craft.  If so, that's awesome!  Share some of that  
knowledge.

Think back to when you were first starting out in woodworking.  What  
were some of the biggest things that held you back?  What did you  
struggle with the most?  What were some of the things that helped you more than anything in learning this craft?  Leave your comments below to help others just starting out.

If you're new to the craft, tell me where you need the most help.   
What are your biggest struggles?  Where are the largest gaps in  
your knowledge base?  What are you most interested in learning?  Leave  
your comments below.

I'll be putting the questions and comments that you leave to come up  
with a series of articles and videos that will help those just  
starting out in this craft.

And don't worry if you're not a beginner, I'll be putting out other  
content as well.  The getting started stuff will be interspersed with  
intermediate and advanced woodworking content.  Once I have enough  
content on the Getting Started stuff, I'll break it off to it's own  
section on the website so people just getting started will have a  
place to go.

So, help get this new section started by leaving your comments below.]]> http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/getting-started-in-woodworking/ http://www.woodworkersresource.com/blog/getting-started-in-woodworking/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:47:57 -0500

Instead of doing this in a video format, I decided to simply take pictures. Below you'll find a number of pictures with discussion about how each was built. I also have pictures of the bookcases I did in the videos installed so you can see the finished product.

We love books as you can probably tell from the pictures below. Finding a place to store all our books has sometimes been a challenge (yes, even for a woodworker)!

The problem we usually ran into was the fact that I didn't want to build something if it wasn't something "up to my standards" What I mean by that is I didn't want to make something that when looked at by friends or family, the first thought would be, "Wow, I expected to see something more impressive". Can you relate?

But, to be honest, I just had to get over it and build some bookcases that looked nice, but weren't all that time consuming so that my wife wouldn't kill me.

So, in the pictures below you'll see examples of bookcases that can be built in a long weekend, all the way up to a bookcase that took me two weeks to build.  (Which is when, by the way, the idea finally got through to me that every piece I build doesn't have to be heirloom quality).

If bookcases are on your list of projects to build, hopefully this article will help you decide how much time (and money) you want to spend making them.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, simply leave them at the bottom of this page.

Craig

The bookcases are made from plywood with a face frame made from poplar. The back is 1/4" birch ply that I left unpainted because I liked the look (okay, I got tired of painting, but I do like the look).

There was no moulding used because these bookcases were made for one purpose: Getting books and toys off the floor! I had no illusions of these bookcases being passed down to my children and their children. It took a weekend to complete these two bookcases, including painting.

It's made from white pine (the sides made from two 12" wide boards) with the exception of 1/4" plywood. I used a gel stain (which I love using on pine to prevent "blotching") to give the piece a uniform color.  This is important when you're mixing wood. I also like to use gel stain to "antique" a piece by leaving a little in the crevices where dirt and grime would naturally build up.

This bookcase took about four evenings to complete, with another couple of days for the finish.  My wife is not happy over the closeup of our dust. 

Here's one of two bookcases that I built for my wife for her sewing room. She is as passionate about heirloom sewing (not dusting) as I am about woodworking (I had to put my foot down when she wanted to make drapes for my shop). These bookcases are very similar to the bookcases built in our videos. I want to point out two differences: The material used and the different moulding used. I tried something new with these bookcases. See, I have a confession to make: I hate to paint! There, I've said it. So, in designing these bookcases I thought I'd try using melamine for the sides, top and bottom so I wouldn't have to paint them. Wrong! Because the face frame and back had to be painted, the colors didn't match. So I ended up painting the whole thing anyway! I was not a happy camper.

Here's a close up of the crown molding used on these bookcases. The crown actually sits on a piece of poplar with an ogee profile routed on the edge. This gives a wider looking crown with added depth and shadow lines.

These bookcases took about a week, working during the evenings with the weekend spent painting.

This bookcase is made from African Mahogany, a wood that is similar to Honduras Mahogany. The difference I found in working with the African version was that it was lighter in weight, and much more susceptible to splitting. Other than that, it has the advantage of being more readily available and less expensive. The sides are made from one board each. The top is attached to the sides with sliding dovetails.

The finish used was a coat of linseed oil followed by multiple (thin) coats of orange shellac applied by french polishing.

Well, that's a few of the bookcases I've built over the years. Hopefully this article will help you decide what style bookcase you would like to build for your own home by first figuring out, "How Much Time Do You Have", to put into one.

If you have any different designs you'd like to share with us, send them to me at: contactus@woodworkersresource.com. I'll add them to this article as they come in.

And as always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

Craig

P.S.  Here are some more pictures of bookcase designs sent in by viewers of our website.  A big thank you to all those who took the time to share their bookcase designs with us!

(click on the "view picture" buttons below to see pictures, doing this will help the page load faster).

Our first bookcase design comes from Kent:

Hi Craig,

Here are two built-in bookcases I made last winter.  I modified plans out of an old Woodsmith magazine from stand alone to built-in.  They are made out of cherry stock and cherry veneered plywood.  I wasn't up to making the dentil molding that my wife wanted, so that was purchased from Rockler.  I stained them with Olympic cherry and mahogany gel stains mixed 50/50 and then finished with five coats of wipeon polyurethane gloss with a final coat of semi-gloss.

I truly enjoy your newsletters and blogs. especially your interview with Tom Lie-Nielson.  This summer my wife and I were vacationing in Maine.  We were driving up Route 1 to Rockland, Me, when low and behold, what pops up as we rounded a curve, but Lie-Nielson factory and showroom.  Of course I had to stop and check it out.  I got to talk to Tom a few minutes and left with a new beading plane in hand.

 When people think of high quality hand planes, one of the first companies to come to mind for most is Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, and for good reason. Lie-Nielsen Toolworks has been turning out some of the best "Stanley" type hand planes for over 25 years.

However, over the last several years Lie-Nielsen Toolworks has been turning out a lot more tools than just hand planes.

In our fourth interview I get the opportunity to talk to the owner and founder of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Thomas Lie-Nielsen. We talk about:

• What it was like to start a tool manufacturing company 25 years ago when woodworking hand tools weren't as popular

• The challenges they faced bringing chisels to the market

• Some of Lie-Nielsen's newest tools - Workbenches, Progressive Pitch Saws, Inlay Tools, Educational DVDs, and much more

• What a typical day is like for Tom Lie-Nielsen

• My own suggestion for a new product for Lie-Nielsen: You're gonna love this!

• You'll even get to hear first hand what new tools Lie-Nielsen will be coming out with in the near future (I'm VERY excited about this one!)

• And much, much more

• Modern Tools: Tolerances and Myths

• How Modern Tools are Designed and Made

• Bevel-Up vs. Bevel-Down Planes (CLOSED)

• Modern Tools: Tolerances and Myths (repeated session)