The Wood Whisperer

Moving an entire wood shop is no fun. But you can save yourself a lot of back ache if you hire some help. Money well-spent if you ask me. In this episode I show you everything I did to get my shop ready for the road trip. By no means is this meant to be a guide of any sort. Rather, its just a peak into my personal experience. And if you ever have to move your own shop, you’ll know what you’re in for.

{Mevio-37607c090e8dae808cb4d7b345aaaea7} I received a number of great questions for Safety Week and this video covers three of them. The first question concerns running small pieces over the tablesaw and router. The second question is about the proper installation and safe use of a dado blade. The final question concerns the disposal of chemicals and hazardous waste in the shop. An important link I mention in the video is Earth911.com, where you can find your local hazardous waste recycling and disposal centers./n /n

The most common topic request for Safety Week was dust and respirators. So here/'s a quick review of the dust and fumes that can make our lives miserable in the shop, and why we need respirators for pro-active protection./n /n

Help me win the Better Homes & Gardens 48-hr Blog Challenge./n /n

This is just a quick video of me assembling an Eagle America coping sled. I find this type of sled is not only helpful, but a necessity, when making frames and raised panel doors. Its a great jig for running those narrow pieces through a big router bit. Speaking of raised panel doors, check out Raising Arizona for a quick review of the process of making raised panel doors with router bits./n /n

Darrell Peart is a furniture-maker, author, and instructor living in the Pacific Northwest. His work is heavily influenced by the work of the Greene brothers and as you can see on his website, Darrell likes to put his own spin on it. This interview took place in March of 2009 at the William Ng School. I took Darrell/'s Aurora End Table class and he was kind enough to sit and chat with me about all kinds of things: influences, design theories, copying other works, and Greene & Greene. Darrell also gives a few tips to help bring out that inner designer inside of all of us (if it isn/'t coming out naturally). /n /n

The final installment of the Steamer Trunk series. I apply the faux walnut straps, apply the water-based finish using my HVLP turbine, and install the tansu hardware. All in all, this was a great project that really reinforces simple frame and panel construction. At the end of the video, I even have a little update on Duane’s progress on his trunks. Things are coming along nicely. Best of luck to you Duane!/n /n

A quick way to set up a dado blade with no measuring!/n /n

In this episode, I go over some pre-finishing tips and finish the inside of the trunk. I then go through the entire assembly and glueup process from start to finish. I then discuss the trunk’s lid, which is different from the original plan. You can download a Sketchup plan for the lid below. Once the lid is glued up, I realize that rushing through this project has resulted in a number of errors. So I fix them. I know how you guys love it when I make mistakes so you won’t be disappointed in this one, haha./n /n

Moving right along, we continue cutting and assembling parts for the steamer trunk. I spend a good deal of time on techniques that will help you when working with plans. The key is to realize that some parts need to be cut using measurements from your project, NOT from the plan itself. I also spend some time creating the thicker top panels, since they are not as simple as they appear from the outside. /n /nNow that all the joinery is pretty much complete, I show you an alternative method for making the tongue and groove joints that could very well be faster and easier, if you have a router table. I use a tongue and groove bit set from Eagle America. Check out the links below if you are interested in going that route. /n /nAnd why do I wear a dunce cap in this episode? You/'ll have to watch to find out./n /n

This is the first of a new short form video series called /"Whisper Minis/". The idea is to cover a single topic in a very concise manner. I plan on covering all kinds of tips, tricks, techniques, and we/'ll even throw in some product-related stuff now and then. This is just a good way for me to capture and distribute all those little things that don/'t really have a place as a full Wood Whisperer episode. I hope you enjoy them. This mini covers the process of sawing off a box top. This particular box is part of the Sawmill Creek Forum/'s Keepsake Box Collaboration. Germain told me about it, and Jim and Dewey invited me to join in on the fun. The idea is that this keepsake box will travel the country to different woodworkers/' shops, and each person will work on one part of the project. And the final box will be auctioned off for charity. Now I must admit, cutting the top off of someone else/'s box makes me a little nervous. So you/'ll see I took some precautions. But it was well worth it as the results were great. Now I need to send the box off to the next person in line. You can keep up with the latest on the Sawmill Creek Forum./n /n

On to our next project: a steamer trunk. This project was built and filmed in an effort to assist my new friend, Duane. The video gives the whole story. And here is a forum thread about the project: Wood Whisperer Forum /n /nThis first part focuses on building the frames that make up the sides of the trunk case. I cover numerous topics, but I spend a significant amount of time on grain matching. And since I don’t work with plans on the show very often, I thought it would be good to review some tips, tricks, and overall strategy for working with plans. I am incorporating a few notable changes to the original plan. First is the joinery of the corner “legs”. I will be using a rabbet instead of a reinforced miter. The second, and most dramatic change is the top. The plan calls for an arched top, and I have opted for a square top./n /n

Here is my review of the DeWalt Tracksaw, FINALLY! As much as I tried to focus solely on the Tracksaw, its nearly impossible not to draw comparisons to the Festool TS line of plunge saws. Let me sum it all up by saying you need to be really picky to find distinctions that will make a real difference to the average woodworker. If you are trying to make a decision between these two saws, you will probably need to look at bigger picture things like price, system approach, warranty, and interoperability with other tools. But if you are looking for a saw that makes extremely safe and clean cuts with good dust collection, either saw will fit the bill. /n /n

About 4 days before Christmas, I started making a nice little picture frame for a custom piece of art I had made up for Nicole. A gift for a special girl requires some special wood. So I pulled out my best sheets of curly maple veneer and a couple of sheets of home-sawn adzalia?? wood that I received from David Marks. Now to be honest, I have no idea how you spell the name of this stuff and my research hasn/'t yielded anything yet. David is in India right now so I can/'t get the answer. But as soon as I know the proper spelling, I will let you know. You may find it odd that I decided to use solid maple as the substrate for the frame. I thought this would be a fun experiment, and when the rabbets are cut in the back, there won/'t be any unsightly ply to look at (not that it matters that much). Small projects like this are just a great place to experiment with techniques and materials you might not normally use. All the extra effort pays off in the end when the finish hits the wood. KABLAM!!!! The wood just comes to life!/n /n

A quick update on the latest products and services here at TheWoodWhisperer.com. /n /nOur Schwarz shirts are in. These shirts feature a cool image of Popular Woodworking/'s Chris Schwarz and the phrase, /"May the Schwarz be with you./" The shirts also feature the Wood Whisperer logo on the back. We have the highest respect for Chris/'s writing and craftsmanship. Fortunately, he also has a great sense of humor. So pick up your very own Schwarz shirt today! /n /nWe recently added some new features to our live page, including two new windows where you can choose from nearly 20 live stream shop cams. Check it out on our Live Page. /n /nOn Jan. 1st, The Wood Whisperer Guild officially launched and we are very pleased with the response so far. If you/'re looking for more Wood Whisperer episodes and live demos, as well as great standing discounts with woodworking supply vendors, you have to check out The Wood Whisperer Guild. /n /nWe finally set up a video release schedule. You can find that and other important events listed in our new calendar. And don/'t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. /n /n