Here’s an idea: how about you and your grand-daughter make Cheer Boxes together? This would be woodworking and cheer related.

It can be super fun and also a little frustrating to have kids in the shop. My advice is make sure the shop is safe before they enter, and work with them on a project or let them explore, with your help, the world of woodworking. If you try to give them something to do by themself so that you can get work done, well my experience is that it doesn’t really work that way.

-Will

I really don’t think that Fine Woodworking or Popular Woodworking really care too much about educating the public about the craft. They are really just targeting the woodworking audience, and most of the articles and web content are really geared to hobbiest woodworkers, not professionals. So the Wood Expo is one of the few events specifically targeting the buyer. I wish there were more, but and maybe there is an opportunity to organize something on the West Coast as well. But in Matt’s defense, the buzz right now is all about the splitting of the two WIA shows and the addition of Fine Woodworking’s show, and he’s just covering what lots of woodworkers are already talking about right now. After all, this blog targets woodworkers, and Matt does great work.

I have nothing against the woodworking shows as all – they are a great opportunity for me to network with lots of great friends, but with smaller broken up venues I’m much less likely to attend. However, you can bet I’ll be involved in the Wood Expo for as long as guys like Neil, Rick, Eli, Bruce, and Tommy are willing to keep coming back. I will definitely do my best to promote the event (it’s already up on my web site at newtonwoodworking.com) and have recruited Dyami Plotke of the Penultimate Woodshop (http://penultimatewoodshop.blogspot.com/) to make the trip up from New York to cover the event. Hopefully we can get some good online coverage in addition to meeting a lot of folks in person.

Thanks again,
Rick

First, of course I’m going to post your comments. That’s what the comments section is for. Within reason, I’ll approve any comment. My only rule (thanks Marc Spagnuolo) is “don’t be a jerk.” And neither of you guys are jerks.

I have limited exposure to the WoodExpo perhaps that’s because I’m not in New England, or there isn’t a corporate marketing machine getting the word out, or that I’m not dialed in to the right information and sites. When I searched on twitter today for #woodexpo I found five tweets. I did learn a bit about the WoodExpo through a recent conversation with Rob Bois during a Google+ hangout. After my conversation with Rob and after reading Rick’s comments, the WoodExpo sounds great and is exactly the kind of thing I think we need nationwide. A WoodExpo national tour would be fantastic, and a Seattle area show would get my support and volunteer hours.

I also didn’t mean to ignite a WoodExpo vs. Fine Woodworking Live vs. Woodworking in America vs. Every Other Show vs. Guild Shows debate. As far as not mentioning all the other shows around the country, that’s just impossible and that wasn’t the goal of the post. I didn’t mention AWFS Fair, or The Woodworking Shows either. Today Darrell Peart told me about a new (to me) show focused on Greene & Greene in Pasadena, the Craftsman Weekend. I’m not aware of anything like this in the Seattle area, but I hope there is (or soon will be).

My post was a commentary on two competing magazines scheduling competing shows and how (ultimately) it’s a positive statement, and it’s good that they are reaching more people. I also wrote that I wish they would do some of the things Rick describes about WoodExpo. I think I struck a nerve when I said that the magazines were “uniquely suited” which may come off as a negative ding against WoodExpo and that wasn’t my intention. I do think that those magazines could use their marketing muscle and expand their shows to include a showcase of goods created by woodworkers. They could also get the word out about WoodExpo and similar shows. In the case of Fine Woodworking, they could use their other magazines, like Fine Homebuilding, as tools to inform customers about the benefits of working with local woodworkers. Remember that one of the key points I made is that for woodworkers to be successful, there must be a demand for the things woodworkers make. Increase the demand for quality furniture designed and built by woodworkers and you increase the number of successful woodworkers.

Am I concerned with the vendor fees at the other shows? No. This is the way vendor spaces work at shows in many industries. If the vendor doesn’t want to pay the fee for a spot, that is their choice. If they decide the show is worth it, they’ll pay the fee. Woodcraft makes the choice to buy a vendor spot at Woodworking in America, Rockler doesn’t. Laguna does, Grizzly doesn’t. Etc.

Am I concerned that I pay an attendee fee to go to the show? No. I would pay a fee to attend a class given by those instructors, so I’m not offended that I pay to get lots of instruction at the shows. Would I be happier with a free show? Of course.

Rick, you mentioned that “the WoodExpo gets little notice from the ‘Internet Crowd’” and I have to agree that’s true, but not because of “outdated ideas and ideals.” I think the internet woodworking crowd is all about providing quality woodworking information for free. There are pay sites, but those pay sites also have free or ad-supported content. I think the WoodExpo gets less buzz on the internet because it isn’t marketed by a magazine that is sent to thousands of homes every month, and in general there is less buzz coming from WoodExpo for the woodworking blogging community to spread about WoodExpo.

I’m now a bigger fan of WoodExpo and I’ll do my part to get the buzz out. To do that, myself and other bloggers will need content. Please feed us links, articles, photos, etc. I’m now following @WoodExpoUS on Twitter.

WoodExpo 2012
Reconnecting the Maker and the Buyer
February 23-26, 2012
Seaport World Trade Center
Boston, Massachussetts

You talk about the 3 shows that FWW and WIA are putting on this year, but not a single mention of the many more woodworking shows nationwide that go on each year. Ranging from the small (hundreds in attendance) local shows that actual guilds and clubs participate in, to the international shows, like the annual WoodExpo in Boston (10,000+ in attendance annually).

Focusing on the WoodExpo, specifically because it is near and dear to me, it has always addressed many of the concerns in your original article: local craftsman, quality goods, responsible consumerism and responsible use of materials. The WoodExpo is 4 years old now and boasts the participation of many of the revered industry experts that you’ll never see at an extremely commercial show like WIA.

Want to speak about being responsible? Fine, what about the charge for attendance to the WIA shows? A few hundred bucks, right? The WoodExpo is part of a larger convention, open to the public over a 4-day weekend, where the charge for admission is $12 a day ($9 if you pre-order online).

Not enough? Well, I can’t speak to exact figures of what is being charged of vendors at WIA for booth space, or how much is going to the WIA Instructors/presenters/Special Guests, but I can tell you that the organizers of the WoodExpo do everything out-of-pocket, and the industry experts, exhibitors, Special Guests are there out of the love of the craft, and to genuinely connect with the public, as well as educate potential custom furniture consumers. If they were in it for the money, they’d probably go to WIA.

For the past 4 years the exhibitors at WoodExpo get a chance to show their handcrafted furniture and accessory creations FOR FREE. No Charge! This is unheard of! No one does this! They get their work critiqued by the likes of Phil Lowe, Alan Breed, and other top experts. You’ll not find that opportunity at any other woodworking/furniture show in the world.

Yet, because this event is not sponsored by a big name magazine, with outdated ideas and ideals, the WoodExpo gets little notice from the ‘Internet Crowd’. Frankly, I’d be surprised if this comment is actually posted.

Rick

“An opportunity that Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking are uniquely suited to help with is to open their shows up to the general public to help educate and increase demand for locally made furniture. These shows could have woodworking showcases with pieces for sale; they could advertise to and educate consumers; and have targetted business, marketing, and sales seminars for woodworkers.”

For the 2nd year we are doing this in Boston under WoodExpo. We specifically gear WoodExpo to the attending public with the mission of educating the buying public specific to building the craft. The show takes place within the New England Home Show. Please acknowledge this fact!!!

Individuals that are followed within the woodworking community have attended as exhibitors; Rob Bois and Morton for example, yet you do not acknowledge WoodExpo.

The fellow woodworkers putting this 4 day event on are volunteers doing our best to get the word out.

Demonstrations at this years WoodExpo will be done by Allan Breed, Chuck Bender, Tom McLaughlin, Peter Turner to quickly name just a few. Breed just completed a demonstration at the Met and Bender is a standard Pop Wd presenter.

I’d appreciate your acknowledging WoodExpo leading this showcase to educate approach not Pop Wood or FWW.

Thank you……….Neil

Mike

Thanks for sharing your stories.

We’ve never met, and I don’t hardly tweet, but I thank you for taking the time to share your story. Blessings to you as you pursue your passion. I’m right there with you.
Doug McPherson- Michigan
mcphersonvisionsinwood.com

All I can add is ‘ARRRRR!!!!’

Ian

-Will

Thanks for stopping by. I think your best bet is to call Grizzly customer service. They are very helpful and knowledgeable. Good luck!

Really enjoyed the first woodchat.

Kevin

Chris

Chris

Would your grandfather have worked someplace where changing rope packing was needed? If not I’m inclined to think me first guess (flagging irons) was right.

A suggestion for future posts. Put something in the picture to indicate the size of items.

You might want to look at the L&IJ White catalog at toolemera.com. It has Coopers tools near the back.

Barr makes a similar looking pommel knife that is used by some Windsor chair makers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pommel knife was inspired by the champer knife.

Really interesting stuff you’ve got Matt.

Ian

I just found some info that said Fuller made braces in Japan. Found one on Ebay with the Fuller name on the sweep grip. Likely the first thing to rub off during use.

Video will tell more as well as analysis of the cut after the fact. The biggest thing will be aligning your body properly, but video will then highlight hitch or deviation during the stroke. All that being said, if the cut is straight and plumb. Don’t worry about it. None of us saw by hand SO much that we need to obsess or efficiency or optimization of power.

Jerry S

Or just truncated the title….”Great Aussie…”

Ian

See ya next year and on the forums.

I just set the fan on the floor, right next to the booth, and attach the filter to the fan with a bungie cord. Low tech, I know. I took some awesome video of the booth in use – at least I thought I did! The camera was not recording at the time so I’ll need to reshoot the video. Thanks for stopping by.

I haven’t used it on drawers, but I think something cool could be done with drawer fronts and splines. Contrasting wood, and even having the blad tilted could look really cool

In the woodworking world much is constant
Like the plane and the saw and the quadrant.
But when good writers leave,
It gives all cause to grieve,
Or at least get a little despondent.

I do not hold anything against General Finishes or any other products that Rockler and WoodCraft sell, but the local outlets will give you local walk-in support where you can get personal contact.

When I am in my local supplier stores I often end up sharing personal experience with another customer just learning to finish as the sales clerk answers questions and then states “just ask Todd, he uses/does it all the time.”

A problem that I ran into when I tried Target Coatings was the shipping issues that arise. I got a can of damaged product and so therefore I had no local support. It was then I found that just buying the product locally is better because I can walk in, purchase an undamaged can, & if I have an issue just return it.

If you want to know what the “professional” are doing then ask a cabinet maker in your area where they get their product. I can guarantee that the majority have a local supplier that caters to their needs and they are not buying from a woodworking store and you can buy there too. The difference is they just don’t do all the heavy marketing to the average woodworker but they will accept your dollars and give you help too…locally.

I have done a lot of hand rubbed finishes, and those can really bring out the color of the wood, and the dimension. I usually apply different materials for different coats when doing this. For example: one coat of danish oil, a few coats of shellac, then a oil-varnish topcoat. The danish oil soaks in, the shellac protects and dries fast so you can do lots of coats in one day, and the oil-varnish topcoat protects like shellac but doesn’t dissolve in alcohol.

Water based finishes don’t usually showcase the color or dimension of the wood as good as the oil or solvent-based finishes. Many water based finishes can sit on the surface and look like you’ve laminated the piece with clear plastic. That’s not a look you want.

However, Enduro Var is different. It really added depth to the maple on the fish tank stand and does not look plasticy. More on that in my next post.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

This was a great post! I feel like all I need to do now is “just add an Earlex” and I am good to go. Seriously, thank you for the excellent notes. I will definitely be putting a sprayer on my list of toys to add to the shop.

At the seminar I went to they were saying water based finishes seem to not bring out the color of the wood so good. Do you finish with say Shellac first and then put on your water based finish? Any thoughts / strategies on that?

-Will

Thanks again

I use the 3M mask you listed and it works great. I have been using the 7500 series for years. They are comfortable and do a great job of sealing to the face if you get the right size.

I am experienced in finishing and I think your entry is thorough and really hits on all the key issues of spraying in the shop.

I sub out the “growing of the wood” to Mother Nature.

In response to your final question: I have hired or “subbed” out work to other craftsmen on numerous occasions. As a contractor this is something that is normal to me. The project is still considered “my work” but I also recognize the other craftsmen involved.

It is considered my work because I am the one responsible for bringing it all together. I can honestly say that I have my own hands on all of my projects and do most of the work myself. Also, most of them are my designs – it is MY WORK.

Things I wish I could change:

• The gun needs a bigger handle. I have big man hands.
• I can find the needles and cups online, but not replacement air filters.
• I wish I had the long hose from the HV7000
• I’ve heard that the hose has non standard fittings, or that the gun is non standard, or something like that. I think that makes a difference if you do a lot of spraying and interchanging stuff.

Sure, I’ll do a review of the sprayer in the future – have you seen the review by Marc Spagnuolo?

Awesome post! I just attended a seminar about spray finishing and they guy was from Apollo. They make super nice sprayers but they are way above my budget. I was toying with the notion of an Earlex based on Marc’s video. How do you like yours? I won’t spray very often and I think it is very much in line with what I am looking to do,

Hey do you think you could do a product review on yours for an upcoming post? Just a thought.

Thanks for the great posts!

-Will

Let me know how your build goes.

I’ve got a bunch of crappy videos on my HD now and I’ll be shooting some more tomorrow a the Woodworking Shows so I’ll definitely be trying out Windows Live Movie Maker.

It doesn’t take that long at all and I’m getting better at it. I wrote all the steps and settings into a document so that I do them right each time, with the correct settings each time.

Have fun in the shop!

Also, was that a BOB stoller I saw in the garage? They absolutely rock. I’ve pushed mine (with both twins in it) through loose sand at the beach. This may be a woodworking blog/chat, but I’d recco a BOB stroller just as highly as a Woodpecker square to anyone who’ll listen.

For the editing, did you use Windows Live Movie Maker?

Great to see you on the blog, thanks for stopping by. Looks like our booths are very similar. I sure thought mine was a great idea until I saw Jeff’s book.

Al

I really like the Earlex HV6900 a lot. A few things:
Make sure you keep the motor far from the spray or the filters get material on them.
You might want to go for the HV7000 for the longer hose.
I ordered the extra needles 1.0mm, 2.0mm (1.5mm came with the gun)
I ordered a spare cup
Linear airflow is really important

Thanks for stopping by the site!
-Matt

I think I’m going to glue in some blocks inside the miter corners for stability, what do you think?

A former employee, who now works at a different company, is part of the fencing club and when he saw my posts on Facebook he had me submit a bid to the club leadership. They accepted and paid the deposit, so now I have a new customer. These trophies look beat up but they are pretty cool. They need some TLC after 30+ years.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any requests for my videos, let me know. Whether that is a topic to cover, or feedback to improve the quality.

Who’s doin’ it right? “Matt is!”

You’re doing a great job with the video and narration. Seriously.

And that’s a handy trick to fill a crack. That Marc seems to know what he’s talking about…sometimes. (looks around) Is he here?

I hope those trophy bases turn out great and still retain that hint of “Walnuttiness.”

Checking to see if tools need to be tuned up is really a project event, not a timed event. So I’m going to check my tools before starting a big or important project or if I suspect problems. Based on those checks, I’ll decide if I need to tune them up.

I suspect this means that I will check my tools more often, but I’ll only be doing the work to tune them up if I needed.

Waxing the tools to prevent rust is a timed event, not a project event (rust doesn’t wait for projects), so I’m going to wax tools regularly – perhaps monthly.

This does make the engineer/project manager in me want to develop a maintenance plan that includes all of the above and more (filter changing, dust collector emptying, air compressor draining, etc). But I think I’ll let that evolve over time as I learn and I’ll incorporate anything I learn from other woodworkers as well.

Glad this post got you out in the shop!

Good post – I think most of us probably don’t give tune ups enough consideration. I know I am very guilty of this. Thanks for the motivation to go out and get my machines in order! How often do you plan on doing tune ups? Maybe I am over thinking this and being too much of an Engineer but do you think it would be a bad idea to draft up a preventative maintenance plan for your shop and service or check each of your machines at regular intervals? Too much fuss for the relatively small volume of stuff we make vs. industrial shops? What are your thoughts? Thanks.

-Will

http://workshop.scottmorton.com/setting-tuning-grizzly-jointer/

Morton++

My insert doesn’t have screws that hold it in either, it is a friction fit. The screws you see in the insert are for leveling the insert flush with the table. I do think you could do a tab underneath on the backside so it won’t lift up and become a projectile.

The video was shot totally spur of the moment with a Samsung Digital Camcorder model SC-MX20. It records H264 video straight to SD cards. I then did some quick editing (mostly trimming) with Windows Live Movie Maker and encoded with Microsoft Expression Encoder.

Great tip. I have an old Craftsman contractor saw (’79 ish) and it doesn’t have any holes for set screws for my ZC insert. Any ideas on how I can hold it in place. I am probably asking for it to become a projectile by just setting it in there and I don’t think I have enough room to drill and tap holes?

Thanks for the video post. It was great and just long enough too! Did you shoot that on a smart phone? The quality was very good.

-Will

I have the same jointer you have and boy is it a dream machine. I’ve never bogged it down, dust collection is good, and the extra length of the tables has helped me on some of my longest boards while making dining room tables for people.

One thing I did though, was add a link belt and it made the jointer more quiet. Others also recommend the belt upgrade on the other forums.

Good luck and you have some GREAT tools now!

I only had two things to fuss about with the assembly of the jointer: 1) Getting the pulleys between the jointer cutterhead and the motor was a huge PITA, because you’re fighting gravity, and 2) the wiring diagrams for my planer took multiple takes to read correctly (my jointer came prewired 110V and I wanted to use 220V).

Looking forward to what you think post setup!

Currently I use a DeWalt DW735 planer and I bought carbide knives for it. It does a fine job, but it’s not extreme duty, and can tear out difficult grain if the blades aren’t sharp. I’ve been looking into the helical cutter idea for awhile now. I’ll be really interested on how the planer works out for you. They have a G1033X 20″ planer, still 220V single phase but it’s $1000 more. Not sure that extra capacity is worth it. Still in the “looking” phase though.