Chris' Woodworking Blog

As I mentioned in this space a couple of weeks ago, the LumberJocks Woodworking Awards Summer 2008 were announced today. This summer's contest will be one of the biggest yet.

You can enter in two categories:

One Man's Junk - Find some old piece of hardware, recycled wood or other piece of "junk" and turn it into a treasure.

Serve It Up With Class - Use your woodworking skills and make a serving tray using at least two different varieties of wood.

To check out the prizes and rules, visit LumberJocks. The deadline for contest entries is July 31, 2008.

In the summertime, most climatological zones tend to be more humid than in the winter. As a result, wood will tend to take on more moisture as it naturally attempts to acclimatize with the environment. This could cause the wood to swell, which often leads to sticky drawers and doors. For instance, one of the doors to my shop is a wooden-core door, and with all of the rain we've received lately, the door is next to impossible to close once it's been opened. Fortunately, I have another door that I can use that isn't as susceptible to the fluctuations due to excess humidity.

In fine woodworking projects such as furniture and cabinets, one must plan for such fluctuations, as they are simply a fact of life. I mentioned a number of ideas for dealing with these fluctuations in Allowing for Expansion and Shrinking, but what can one do when the problem is already manifesting itself on a piece?

Check out one of my favorite tips for dealing with this issue in How to Fix a Sticky Drawer. The same idea works well on a sticky door as well.

Woodworking projects aren't limited to building furniture. There are numerous other projects that can be built in the wood shop, including projects for use in the shop.

In this article, find seven such woodworking projects. These sets of free woodworking plans will show you how to build projects such as cabinetry for storage in the shop, a sturdy set of sawhorses, a portable shop table, a classic wooden toolbox and more.

Check out these Seven Woodworking Projects for the Wood Shop and build them for your shop.

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

As a woodworker, you may have a shop full of power tools and woodworking machinery. However, there are some hand tools that will never go out of fashion. For instance, if you need to clean up a mortise, cut out for a hinge or simply trim up a dado or rabbet, there will always be a need for fine chisels.

There are hundreds of types of chisels, designed for all kinds of woodworking uses. However, the most common (and readily available in any home center) is the bevel-edged chisel.

Chisels are easy to work with, but if improperly used, can really wreak havoc on your woodworking plans. Learn how to use a chisel properly, and why you need to keep a few on hand for your woodworking projects.

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

In my time as the About Woodworking Guide, I've been introduced to a number of innovative products about which I've responded, "Why didn't I think of that?"

The Final Cut Saw Blade is one such product. The premise is almost too simple: a saw blade for use on your table saw or miter saw that has a sanding disc on each side of the blade that sands as the cut is being made. The question is, does it really work?

Find the answer to that question as well as the results of my testing in the About Woodworking Review of the Final Cut Saw Blade.

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

June 1 marked the beginning of Hurricane season in the North Atlantic basin. Of course, anyone paying attention to the news has noticed a higher than normal number of tornadoes in the US this year, not to mention the flooding in Iowa the past couple of weeks.

With these natural disasters in the forefront of my mind, I began to wonder how many woodworkers have a disaster plan for their shop, to protect their woodworking tools from hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or other such natural disasters.

In Do You Have a Wood Shop Disaster Plan?, I list a number of ideas to prepare your wood shop for such natural emergencies. No manner of planning will guarantee to protect your investments in woodworking tools from these unforeseen events, but developing good habits and taking some common-sense precautions will help move the odds in your favor.

Occasionally, a set of woodworking plans will require the woodworker to cut circular shapes from plywood or other stock. While some curved cuts can be done by hand with a jigsaw, many projects like as a circular table top require a level of precision that even the most steady hand on a band saw or jig saw can't cut.

In this set of free woodworking plans, we show you how to build a simple but very effective Band Saw Circle Cutting Jig. This jig will allow for cuts of up to eight feet in diameter, although most of your cuts will likely be a lot smaller. It is easy to make and even easier to use. Build one today!

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

For those looking for a last-minute Father's Day gift, perhaps the following ideas will help. Each link below is for tools or books that we've reviewed here, so you can compare and find just the right gift:

Routers:
Bosch Colt Router
Porter-Cable 893PK Router Kit
Milwaukee 5616-24 Router Kit

Saws:
Craftsman 21235 Miter Saw
Bosch JS5 Orbital Jigsaw
Craftsman Cordless Sabre Saw

Woodworking Accessories:
Kreg Jig K3 Pocket Hole System
Craftsman Digital Miter Gauge
CarveWright Wood Carving Machine

Happy Father's Day!

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

The Paslode T250A 16-gauge Pneumatic Angled Finish Nailer is a departure from most other comparable nailers. Paslode uses 16-gauge nails as opposed to the more standard, thicker 15-gauge nails in an effort to reduce splitting the stock when the nail is driven.

Did their departure from the norm work as expected?

Learn how this pneumatic nailer fared in the About Woodworking review of the Paslode 16-Gauge Angled Finish Nailer Review.

(c) 2008 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

Looking to have some fun this summer? The 2008 Summer LumberJocks Woodworking Awards are about to be announced.

This summer's awards will have two categories:

- One Man's Junk: Test your creativity by reusing some old hardware, reclaimed wood or other recycled material and turn it into something special.
- Serve It Up With Class: Build any type of serving tray utilizing at least two types of wood. This will be a highly contested category, so pull out all of the stops by using inlays, carving, stains, etc., to create a beautiful but useful piece of art.

The official announcement will be coming soon, including the official rules and deadlines for entry. However, this advance notice should give you time to put on your thinking cap and get started.