Popular Woodworking - 009 -1982.pdf
-
Upload
kawchhar-ahammed -
Category
Documents
-
view
59 -
download
9
Transcript of Popular Woodworking - 009 -1982.pdf
wor00
Paci ic
October/November 1982 $1.50
A ThinnerSaw Blade
Synergismand Chairs Ed Lombard
Prize Winning Wood Sculptor
SHIP
• <:V •1-- .. ------. . ..-
. . .I
• t • • •. \........ ... .
· - . .. ..· . '
. , "
he most importantingredient in finewoodworking is theworkmanship. Finequality tools canhelp you achieve theexcellence you are strivingfo r. So whether woodworking isyour hobby or profession we can helpyou do it right.
WOODCARVING TOOLS 20% OFFHirsch Gouges #3 through #8
/
List Sale Price
" 2 to 10mm $~ $11.1212 to 14mm $~ $12.96
~ 16 to 18mm ~ $14.56
Hurry! Offer ends December 31st.Postage paid in Continental U. S.
California Residents add 6% Sales Tax.Send $1.50 for Catalogue (Free with purchase).
Come in or order by phone or mail.
(415) 948-38442545 SHO WERS DRIVE, M OUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94040
2 Pacific Woodworker
Pacific Woodworker (ISSN 0277-576X I ispublished six times a year by Charles Harris.Box 4881. Santa R08II . CA 95402.Copyright © 1982 by Charles Harris. Re~roduction without prior perm ission isJ rohibited.
I
ISubscription rates: SS.OO per year. SI 4.00for two years. Single copy: S1.50. Addresssubscription inquiries to Subscrip tion Dept..Pacific Woodworker. Box 4881. Santa R08IICA 95402. Canada add S3.00 per year. Ratesfor subscriptions outside North America on~uest . Unless a claim is mad e for nonreceipt of an issue within six months ofmailing da te. that issue will not be replacedfree of charge. Allow 6 weeks for addr esschanges.
Unsolicited manuscripts. photograp hs. artwork and other materials are encouraged. butPacific Woodworker cannot assume responsibility for these materials. Submissionsirmst be accompanied by a sell-addressed.stamped envelope for retur n.
The opinions expressed by the au thors do notnecessarily reflect the policy of Pa cificWoodworker. Edi torial correspo nde nce is~ncouraged . and may be edited for pub lication.IDirect all ad vert ising inquiries to:Advertising Ma nager. Pacific Woodwor ker.Box 4881. Sams ROlla . CA 95402.17071 525·8494.
IDeadline for I88ue 10: October 25. 1982Bulk mail postage paid at Santa Rosa. CA.Printed in U.S.A.
Jean M. Davis, EditorContributing Editors:Steve AquilinaSpike BoydBill FarnsworthSheldon HarrisJ.J. Wilson
Book Reviews, Alan MarksCartoons, Bill AthertonMark Hallock
Illustrations, Mark HallockCharles HarrisAdvertising Manager
Nickels GraphicsTypography
Barlow Press, PrintingCharles Harris, Publisher
October/November 1982
PacificW ood-w-orker
Volume 2, Number 3October/November 1982
(Issue 9)
Contents4 Book Review by Alan Marks
A Century ofChair Design
5 Publisher's Note
5 Letters
6 Ebony and Icarus by Jean M. DavisWood Sculptor Ed Lombard
10 Staining Woodby Robert D. Books
12 Woodworking Weekend in Mendocinoby Chod Harris
14 Calendar & Announcements
17 Shop Tip
18 The Quest for the Thinnest Bladeby Richard Silvera
20 Synergism in Chair Making by Chod HarrisDifferentBackgrounds Help Chair Makers Win A wards
24 Amazonian Hardwoods, Part 2by Howard L. Waldron
28 The Del Mar Show by Sheldon HarrisSan Diego Fine Woodworkers Stage Successful Exhibit
30 News and Notes
31 Marketing by Thomas Kline
32 The Fourth Comer by Bill FarnsworthDealing With an Ordeal
40 Power Hand Tool Wood Carving by Spike BoydLesson 7: Sanding and Grinding
43 Classified Market
3
Book Review
by Alan Marks
A Century of Chair Design edited byFrank Russell. Rizzoli InternationalPublications, Inc., 712 Fifth Avenue,New York, N.Y. 10020, 1980,537.50.
Consider this a reference book andyou won't be too shocked by theprice. Almost anything you'd want toknow about the history of chair design during the period 1850 to 1950 iscovered here, in 160 pages including16 pages in color. Because this bookis so specialized and so complete itprobably won't be found in just anybookstore. As an alternative, requestit from the library.
This outstanding book divides thecentury chronologically into the following periods: Arts and Crafts, ArtNouveau, Art Deco, and the ModernMovement. Under each of these headings, period designers representingparticular geographical regions areexamined in perspective. Some of thenames are familiar: Thonet, Stickley,Rietveld, Le Corbusier, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Wegner. But thebook also explores the relatively unknown chairs of people like CarloBugatti, Victor Horta, Georges deFeure, Richard Riemerschmid, andOtto Koloman Wagner, to name onlya handful.
We are introduced to each periodwith a short historical overview ofthe philosophies and influences prevailing at the time. Names of significant personalities appear in properperspective. The following section ineach case then presents in detail themost influential pieces of designersand schools previously mentioned.
The book's many line drawings inink show the subject matter advantageously. Its large format (9Y2" x
4
12Y2") provides enough space forlarge illustrations and photographs,very helpful in assessing a chair'svisual impact. At least 2/3 of thepages consist of illustrations andphotos.
What text there is conveys important information in unemotional textbook style. I would have preferred,however, a more lively, inspired' approach to the subject, similar to thefervor with which I imagine manyof these designers pursued their careers.
Some of them, however dedicated,were unable to realize their ideals.For example, despite William Morris's altruistic plans to produce inexpensive Arts & Crafts furniture forthe masses, the book points out thatMorris's interest in "the selfish pleasure of creation" outweighed his desire to help "the people" attain ahigher aesthetic standard. The expense of handcrafted production andhis exacting requirements of workmanship placed his chairs far beyondthe reach of the common wage-earner.Ironically, his work beautified only thelives of the wealthy. The motivatingphilosophy of the Arts and Craftsmovement, for which Morris wasspokesman, thus may have defeatedits own purpose; but we see how theperiod that succeeded it at the turnof the century more than made up forthis failure.
Though it can't rightfully be saidto have had an underlying philosophy, the Art Nouveau period certainlyburst upon the scene with a spurt ofindividualized creativity. , It ran thegamut from organic exuberance tostylized elegance, from the sinuousforms of Gaudi's chairs on the one
hand to the restrained vertical dignityof Mackintosh's on the other. Itssuccessor, the exotic Art Deco, according to the book's editor, wasessentially a French phenomenon. Heplaces the chairs of the Dutch dbsigner Rietveld, however, within thisperiod, a placement which seems unwarranted to me because Rietveldjsgoals seem so obviously in line withthose of the Modern Movement.During the latter, the designer dfchairs shifted his focus from selfexpression to the requirements of theproduction line and stressed the mostefficient possible use of new materialscomposed according to a functionalaesthetics which relied on proportionand balance for effect. Rietveld apparently belongs to this "minimalist"school. I
To my knowledge no other bookoffers the detailed visual informationcontained in A Century of ChairDesign, and on this basis alone IIwould give it an unqualified recom-mendation. IALSO RECEIVED: The Furniture ofGustav Stickley: History, Techniquesand Projects by Joseph J. Bavaro an!!
IThomas L. Mossman, Van NostrandI
Reinhold, New York, 1982, $18.95.Polychromatic Assembly for Woodturning by Emmett E. Brown andCyril Brown, Linden Publishing Cortipany, Fresno, CA, 1982, $15.95.Woodturning Techniques by W.J .Wooldridge, Sterling Publishing Co.,New York, 1982, $10.95. Build ItUnderground by David Carter, Sterling, New York, 1982, $7.95. Makin~Wooden Toys byRichard Blizzard,Sterling, New York, 1982, $7.95.Fine Furniture Making and Woodworking by Geoffrey Endacott, Ster
l'
ling, New York, 1982,$9.95.
, IPacific Woodworker
A Word From The Publisher
Woodworkers are always lookingIfor new sources of tools, hardware,wood and other supplies. An idealsource is a well run, local store with
Iknowledgeable and friendly employees, who can help you determine exactly what you need. So Pacific Wood
I worker will be highlightingIwoodworking stores on the WestCoast, beginning with the next issue.
I would like to reply to Mr. BartButell who inquired about the Belsaw910 saw. I purchased one of thesemodels approximately three years ago.t have been extremely satisfi ed withthe saw, I buy all of my hardwoodeither rough or S2S, 15/16" thick.1 run this wood do wn to an y required thickness desired by my customer on my Belsaw. I also run mouldings, mostly oak, and although theBelsaw has onl y one knife for thebigger mouldings, it does a very nicejob. I purchased the 3 HP motorand have found it to be sufficient forall hardwoods, giving a very smoothcut. Subsequently I purchased theblower attachment and I have beenextremely pleased with that as well.
Leonard L. GriffinSonora, CA
Our thanks to Mr. Griffin for sharingthis recommendation .
October/November 1982
But not everyone lives close to awoodworking supply store. And nostore can carry everything a woodworker is likely to need. So at one timeor another we all turn to mail ordersuppliers for at least some of ourneeds. Mail order companies run thegamut from wonderful to atrocious,and Pacific Woodworker ran across anexample of each recently.
We just received a copy of the 19823 catalog of The Woodworkers' Storemail catalog. Color photographs andclear drawings fill the 112 pages, andcapsule instructions cover topics suchas veneering and installing har dware.The range of specialty hardware, from
Letters...
I express my thanks and appreciation for Pacific Woodworker's intention to provide to the reader wideinformation... Feat ure articles on individuals notable in the field ofwoodworking are excellent. However,there's one regret. .. You tend to di§regard achievements from amateurssuch as junior and senior high schoolstudents . I att ended the State Fair inSacramento a year ago, and I'mamazed at the display of students'projects in the Industrial Educationexhibit... I th ink it would be in thebest interest of your readers to spotlight students' work, also.
Joe Z. SabrosoWoodland Hills, CA
concealed hinges to extension tableslides, is most impressive. The assortment of books, hand tools, veneers,plans and finishes looks excellent.And their "satisfaction guaranteed"promise helps remove some of theworry about the mail order process, Ican't wait to get in my first order.
On the other hand is U.S. GeneralSupply Corp., of Plainview NY. Ishould have been suspicious when Inoticed they didn't list their telephonenumber in the catalog. But I took achance that their low prices weren'tthe only service they offered. I am stillwaiting for an order mailed in May,and have never received an answer toany of my three letters inquiring aboutmy order. Maybe by Christmas... Buyer beware, or, better yet, avoidU.S.Generai.
Have you had any particularly goodor bad experiences in the mail orderfield? Let us know and we'll sharethem with our readers.
Charles HarrisPublisher.
Over the last few years we havesubscribed to literally every publication published that has as its centraltheme woodworking . We now takeonly yours and one oth~ . We findyour articles useful, asee i~Q ~
ment with each iss-ue.
Pacific Woodworker well:omes lo0uropinions, pro or con, abou~ ,rticlesand information we pUb~ ~ ndLetters to Editor, Pacific Woodworker, P .O. Box 4881, Santa .Rosa,CA 954«),2. Letters mlf' lYe e itedfor publication.
5
A Pacific Woodworker Profile
Ebony and Icarus
Wood Sculptor Ed Lombard
by Jean M. Davis
What are the ingredients of goodsculpture? Edwin Lombard mixes analmost child-like whimsy, inspirationfrom within, tons of elbow grease andan unbelievably high energy level toproduce prize-winning wood carvings.
Whether hard at work in his Carmel, California studio or hard at playon Carmel valley tennis courts, the 71year-old former speech professor displays an energy and love of life thatshames men half his age.
Ed first became interested in sculpture about twenty years ago. While on
a Navy Reserve training exercise onTreasure Island in San Francisco hesaw some driftwood on the shore and,as he says, "fished it out, took it homeand made something." This first carving of an animal head brought praiseand requests for more carvings, andEd started to carve seriously.
Well, perhaps this was not the firsttime Ed had laid knife to wood. Ed'swife Beth says that he has always beencreative and Ed admits to a little instruction as a boy at summer camp,whittling with X-Acto knives. "The
II
lessons were mainly the counselor tellt
ing the kids how not to cut themsel-ves," he recalls.
Later, during World War II, hepassed the time on ship or sitting in afoxhole whittling island woods. TwI
pieces of contrasting wood suggested achess set that he finished years later. I
I
The wood itself appealed to himfirst, he says, rather than the idea rir
Isculpture. "I do love wood the best,the feel of it," Edwin Lombard says,
Dr. Edwin Lombard and the modelfor his prize winning Torsosculpture.
6
Ed displays some ofhis impressive collection ofribbons andtrophies.
IPacific Woodworker
I
7
"Torso" won First Place at the 1980 California State Fair. The 50 lb. carving started out asa 175lb. ebony log.
even though he has worked in otherIhedia including alabaster and, moreIecently, bronze.
Ed Lombard didn't start carvingwood with the idea of winning prizes6r selling his work, but he quickly bedame successful at both. His successJame as something of a surprise to thertist, since Ed had at one time tried
Jreative writing for pay without sueJess. "I was never able to hit," he reIlates. "All I got for my trouble was abunch of rejection slips."I But the opposite has been true of hiswood sculpture. Ed's carvings have~on numerous awards at art festivals,Jounty and district fairs in LagunaI
Beach, Monterey, Fresno, Modesto,~nd elsewhere in California. And inI
1980 he won first prize for wood~culpture at the California State FairI
for his female torso, Ebony.I But Ed doesn't start a sculpture
ith the idea of winning prizes, oreven of selling his work, although he isJuccessful at both. "I just get started~nd I can't stop," he explains. "You~et going and it's exciting! But after Ifinish something, I do like to submitIthe work to a show for the critical re-~ction ."I Not only does this man not carvewith the idea of winning or selling. Oflen people want his prize-winningpieces, but in some cases he won't sellthem. Instead he is saving them for hisbhildren. Many of the things he reallylreasures he won't sell, such as Genie,~ four foot high redwood representalion of an oil lamp emitting wisps ofIsmoke. "That's mine," he explainsI. Isimp y.I Ed cannot predict which of hisworks will win a prize or where. Pieces~ejected at one show have won firstand second prizes at another. Nor canhe explain why others try year afteryear and won't win while he does, ex-I .cept that "I was able to catch on to~omething inside that seems to comeI .out through my hands."I Ed's approach to sculpting withIWOOd may be somewhat different
IOctober/No vember 1982
II
from the expected. He only rarelydraws a design first. "I don't reallyhave the ability to draw," he claims.But somehow working in three dimensions he gets his inspiration.
Ed's designs include common objects around his home, located a block
from the Pacific, and ideas from hisfertile and active imagination. Seals,starfish and seagulls populate his morerealistic carvings, while mythologicalfigures, pure forms and smooth surfaces can be found in recent work.One realistic form not done from life
"Flight, " ofebony, represents Ed's more realistic hanging carvings.
Ed's vivid imagination shows through in the fanciful "Maelstrom " or " Voyage oftheDamned."
Iavailable," he says of his technique,"such as sanding discs. I'm not oAe
I
that has to work just with the chisel."But more important than specifictechniques, says Ed, is "the love thatyou're putting into it. If that doesn'tcome out, it's just a hunk of wood." I
Ed Lombard's style has evolvedI
over time from figures in the round towallhangings, and now back to theround. Some of his works show anOriental influence from childhoodyears spent in Japan. The whimsidaland humorous appear often in hissculpture as with his eagle "Superpatriot." This child-like view of thingshas prompted some critics to compareEd's work to the early work of Calder.
I
Most recently Ed Lombard has beenworking with an interlocking mobiusform. A mobius, named for the German mathematician Moebius (17901868), has one single edge and one single surface joined as one continuousstrip. Normally a mobius is made with
I
a piece of paper twisted. But Ed's fas-cination with the mobius strip takesthe concept a step farther.
"My wife showed me a mobius stripand how wonderful it is, and I said I
IPacific WoodworkerI
energy comes in handy in his largercarvings. Ebony, for example evolvedfrom a 175- pound ebony log, sent toEd by his son from the Celebes Islands. Ed carved away more than twothirds of the log to reveal the black interior.
"I use any mechanical means that is
8
This energy flow is one of the mostoutstanding characteristics of Ed'swork and his personality. His handsand his body are never still. And his
is his Torso series. A thick stack ofPlayboy centerfolds hangs from a clipon his studio wall, providing modelsfor the series. Ed's wife periodicallyturns the stack to face the wall but Edturned it back around for PacificWoodworker to photograph. BethLombard feels that her husband's inspiration comes from his working withthe wood to produce something beautiful. "It just has to come from inside,not from an exterior source," she explains. In talking to both Ed and Bethit becomes clear that she, too, is oftena source of inspiration.
In addition to inspiration, though,Ed puts considerable time and energyinto his work. "I will work sometimesa thousand hours on a piece and agood part of that is the blood at theend of the fingers just from the sanding. The final finishing is very difficult-to find just the movement andthe shape that hits. I do feel I get myinspiration from the energy flow within."
The Icarus Dream-Phallic Phantasy walnutcarving blends the two subjects in a delightfully whimsical manner.
Several years worth ofpotential carvings fill the back yard ofEd's Carmel home.
Ed considers his "Loving Encounters" Mobius carving his best work. The shapes shift andcluzngeas the viewer rearranges the interlocking loops.
was going to carve one. Then 1 said,~ot only was 1going to carve a mobiusJtrip, 1 was going to carve one insideIthe other," Ed told us. The idea of do-ing something that at first appearedimpossible motivated him to createI h'omet mgnew.
Ed worked more than fifty hourswith strips of paper and a block of
wood to find a way to intertwine twomob ius strips carved from a singleblock of basswood.
"Different ways or keeping the essential mobius form of a single edgeand single surface kept emerging fromthe wood. Finally the two linked stripsformed many different abstract designs. Since they were no longer strips,
1 have called them Mobius Swirls,"says Ed. The wood sculpture of Mobius Swirls is titled "Loving Encounters."
Particularly fascinating are the infinite number of positions in which theMobius Swirls can be placed, hung, ordraped. As he talks about his MobiusSwirls, Ed Lombard's hands turn andadjust the sculpture in front of him,holding it up. You can see his fascination and enthusiasm for this idea ofactive sculpture. "I think it is the bestI've ever done," says Ed Lombard.
Since creating his Mobius Swirls, Edhas had the sculpture cast in bronzeusing the basswood carving as the pattern.
What does the future hold forEdwin Lombard? One hesitates toguess which direction his art will take,but no matter what the form, Ed'scharacteristic love of wood, his attention to craftsmanship and his enthusiasm for carving will show through. Welook forward to many more prize winning carvings.
Some of Edwin Lombard's sculpturecurrently is on display at The CanneryRow Gallery in Monterey, California.
October/November 1982 9
Staining Wood
by Robert D. Books
Staining can be either a very satisfying part of a finishing project, orit can be an annoying and frustratingproblem. The difference lies in thekind of stain, type of wood, preparation of the wood, and the techniquesused to apply the stain. This articleshould give you a better understanding of the different aspects of woodstaining so that your next staining jobwill be both easier and more rewarding.
Why Stain Wood?
Staining often is chosen when finishing lighter woods such as pine,maple, birch, and oak because wewant to make it match or resembleother types of wood, in order tocolor coordinate with other furniture,or just to emphasize the grain andadd additional beauty. These lighter
About the author: Robert Books ispresident of General Finishes Corp.in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His interest in woodworking began at anearly age with the help of his grand.father, Oliver, a master wood craftsman for over 50 years. A free booklet, "Your Guide to More BeautifulWood Finishes" may be obtained bysending a self-addressed stamped envelope to GeneralFinishes, P. O. Box14363, Milwaukee, Wl53214.
10
woods need stain to give them colorand character and to highlight thegrain, while darker woods, such asmahogany, cherry and walnut, oftenlook best without stain.
Preparation of the Wood
No finish will be smoother thanthe wood on which it goes, and thereis no such thing as a good finish overpoorly prepared wood . Proper preparation of the wood is the first andmost important step before staining.
This preparation is even more important when staining wood after anold finish has been removed. Beforestaining this type of wood, be surethat all of the old finish is out of thewood and that the wood is bare andclean of grease, wax or dirt. Oldfinish or other foreign material (suchas glue) left on the wood, could resultin an uneven staining job. To cleanthe wood, use any good grade ofmineral spirits or turpentine. Thewood should then be sanded to eliminate scratches or marks in the wood .
Sandpaper
Sanding is especially important inpreparing the wood for a beautifulfinish. There are many different typesof sandpaper on the market; most aresold in 9 x 11" sheets . There are also
many different grades of sandPapLclassified according to abrasi Jestrength. The size of the particlesdetermines the grit designation, whichcan range from "super-fine" (600 gritor 600 particles per square inch) to"coarse" (60 grit or 60 particles p~rsquare inch). The hardness and sharpness of the particles, the strength ofthe backing, and whether the backingand adhesive are waterproof, all determine how durable it will be. Considering all these factors, "op~ncoat" garnet paper is usually the bestchoice. Garnet paper is the mostpopular sandpaper for sanding woodand is easy to recognize because ofits reddish-brown color. It comes ingrits from coarse to very fine and it isconsiderably more durable than flintpaper due to the hardness and composition of its particles."Open coat"garnet paper has open spaces betweenthe particles so that wood dust andother abraded materials are less likelyto clog this type of paper. By coritrast, flint paper is a light tan color,the most common and least expensivegrade of sandpaper. In the long run,flint paper is not the bargain it appears to be. It does not cut as wellnor as fast as garnet paper; also fliAtpaper is more prone to clogging andwears out faster. Flint paper is abouthalf the cost of garnet. However,garnet paper will last almost five
IPacific Woodworker
I
Solidly ConstructedIAs strong as it is big, the Model 500 offers ballbearing cons truction throughout plus an all-steelwelded frame that virtually eliminates deflection!
The FirstAffordable
Pro-SizeBand Sawl
_____ Zip _City
State
Address
IIIIIII-------------------------.
Big 9-ln. Vertical Cut!At last, a professional-size , 24-1/2 in. band sawpriced for the home craftsman! With the Woodmaster Model 500. you can easily handle wide orlong pieces including 4x8 sheets. And its big,9-in. vertica l cut make it easy to resaw thickhardwoods into valuable thinner stock ... or useit to " padsaw" several matching pieces at once .
The Most Versatile SawYou Can Own!
Virtually any sawc ut, from rips to crosses . . .from bevels to miters . can be made on boards,timbe rs, rounds or sheets. The 24-1/2 in. throat isperfect for turning large scro llwork , complexcurves and shapes .
Nothing Extra to BuylComes comp lete with powerful, 3/4 HP, 115Vmotor, switch, stand, built-in dust collector . ripfence, extra blades. scroll saw table and fullinstructions . Outperforms band saws at overtwice its low price . Easy terms .
3D-Day FREE Trial!Send For Complete Facts! See how you can usethe Woodmaster Model 500 in your own shop forone full month comp letely witho ut risk! MAILCO UPON TOD AY or:Call TolI· Free 1(800 ) 824-7888 Oper, 642In California Call I(800j 852-7777 Oper , 642 .
Woodmaster Power Tools, Inc., Dept. S2W2849 Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64108
No Obligation . . .No Salesman Will Call
----------------~Woodmaster Power ToolsDept. S2W2849 TerraceKansas City, MD 64108
o YES! Please rush me, free and without obligation, yourComplete Information Kitonthenew24';''' MOOEL 500 BANO SAW plus facts onWoodmaster's 30-0ay FREE TRIAL Money·Back Guarantee .
Name'Techniques recommended on stain
container labels vary from one product to another. There are, however.only two essential steps in staining all
Continued on page 36
Staining Soft WoodsWith very soft woods, such as pine
or mahogany, it is always best toapply a clear sealer to the surfacejust before you start to stain. Thismakes the wood equally absorbent sothat the stain will penetrate evenly,eliminating the dark blotches usuallyencountered in staining soft woods.The color will be lighter, and you mayneed to apply the stain a second timeto achieve the color you want. Remember that the first coat of clearsealer on soft woods to be stainedshould remain on the wood only ashort time (5 to 15 minutes) beforeyou start to apply the stain.
Application Techniques
ent manufacturers most likely will bethree different shades. Likewise, thesame color stain on three differenttypes of wood will also result in threedifferent shades or colors becausedifferent woods take stain differently.It is always best to test the stain on awood sample or unseen area of thesame piece of wood to assure thedesired effect.
Color matching with differentcolored stains of the same type can beobtained by mixing the differentcolors together and/or by dilutingthem with the base from which theyare made. Different colored stainsmay be made from ground-in-oilartist's pigments by mixing them withan oil-basetI sealer such as Sealacell;or they may be added and mixedinto an oil-based stain to obtaindifferent colors and hues. Rememberthat color depth and tone will varywith the type and color of the naturalwood. The amount of stain applied,the extent of wiping, and the lengthof time the stain is left on the wood,also have an effect on the final color.
Color Matching
Mix the Stain Thoroughly
limes as long.
SandingSanding should always be done
I ith the grain of the wood, usingas heavy a grit paper as possible withbut leaving scratches. StainingIusually accentuates any scrape marksbr other imperfections in the wood~urface . So keep in mind that scratchespr imperfections you can just faintlysee on bare wood may show up sharpI
ly after you stain. With softer woods,such as pine, always start with a 100grit garnet paper and finish with a 180grit. With the harder woods, startWith a 180 grit and then go to a 220grit for final sanding before staining.r en using a natural finish, complete sanding with a 280 grit. Byusing the proper grit of garnet paper,~he stain will be able to freely penetrate the wood and prevent theII" blotchy" look which sometimeshappens when wood is polished by~sing too fine a grit. Hand sandinghas preference over vibrating or belt~anders ; however, if your project~eeds extensive sanding, then use one~of these sanders. Never use a disksander and always finish sanding byIhand. When sanding flat surfaces,use a sanding block and always sandI . h h .WIt t e gram.
In order to keep the stain mixtureuniform while staining, the first thing!You must do is to make sure that the'stain is mixed thoroughly. Stir the'stain until all the pigment is off thebottom. Pigment often settles on thebottom of the container, and unlessthis residue is blended in completelybefore and during applications, theIstain willdarken as the job progressesinstead of being uniform throughout.
I There are no standards in staincolors between manufacturers; there'fore walnut stains from' three differ-
October/November 1982
II
11
Woodworking Weekend
in Mendocino
by Chod Harris
The tiny town of Mendocino, CA,was filled with woodworkers and theirwork on the last weekend in May. TheAmerican Craft Council's PresidentJack Larsen had brought the Council'sannual meeting to Mendocino, wherehe has recently restored the Mendocino hotel. Crafts exhibits filled thispicturesque coastal village and three ofthe exhibits were devoted to woodwork ing.
At the Mendocino Arts Center,Mendocino Woodworking Associationmember Tom McFadden (see below)led a hands-on demonstration on making Shaker boxes.
Gallery Fair turned its entire ground
12
floor over to Sam Maloof. (See PacificWoodworker, Issue 7.) On Saturdayevening, Sam shared some of his design ideas and construction methodswith a crowded group of woodworkersand others amid the smooth flowingcurves and meticulous finish of hischairs, rockers, tables and musicstands.
Meanwhile, Gallery Fair organizerBill Zimmer filled the upper level ofthe building with finely crafted workfrom other woodworkers throughoutNorthern California. The piecesranged from clean, simple designs,such as Alan Marks's lazy susan tableto some that appeared ridiculous. The
di Ioutstan 109 example of the latter is theOverarmed Wheelchair, by MichaJICooper (see photo at left.) Bill Zirrimer says, "The Wheelchair ha~brought in more people to the Galler~than any other piece I have ever hadhere. People come in the door andrush right upstairs, because they haveheard about it, or are dragged in byfriends who have seen it."
I
The Mendocino Woodworkers As-
sociation invited members of sevenother Northern California woodworking associations to participate in ajoint exhibit. The enthusiastic re
l
sponse from the associations overflowed the Guild Store on Main Street
I
IPacific Woodworker
II
I
land filled the Heeser House behind.,Work from Bolinas, Butte County,Humoldt, Santa Cruz , Sonoma, Tahoe and West Marin , Californiaspanned a range from tiny spinningtops to conference tables.I Five years ago the concept of threewoodworking events in Mendocino onthe same weekend was unthinkable.IBut in 1982 interest in woodworkingruns so high that all the galleries werepacked. Woodworking has come ofage in Mendocino.I
Left: Tom McFadden of the Mendocino Woodworkersdisplayed his maple and walnut table at the HeeserHouse. The top is book matched. Top: Jim Bacigalupi'skoa desk graced the second floor at Gallery Fair. Aboveleft: The attention-grabbing Overarmed Wheelchair byMichael Cooper dominated the Gallery Fair exhibit.The piece features walnut arms, Zebrawood shoulders,laminated oak curves and purplewood tire rims whichgrow out into hands, complete with fingernails. Aboveright: Mendocino Woodworker Paul Reiber exhibitedhis quilted maple wall cabinet at the Heeser House.Bottom: Philip Gerstner of the Humboldt Woodworking Society showed a fine maple dining table atthe Guild Store.
IIIOctober/November 1982II
13
Calendar & Announcements
Events ofinterest to woodworkers...
Sept.18-0ct. 31. Mendocino, CA.Second Annual Western States InvitationalWood Show. Gallery Fair exhibit. ContactBill Zimmer, Gallery Fair, P.O. Box 263,Mendocino, CA 95460 or (707)937-5121.
Oct. 6. Anaheim, CA.How To Sharpen Hand Saws, class withCarl Westberg, 7-10 PM, fee $10. ContactGanahl Lumber ce., 1220 East Ball Rd.,PO Box 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714)772-5444.
Oct. 8-Nov. 7. San Francisco, CA.Sculptural Expressions in ContemporaryFurnishings, juried show, Flood Gallery,3921 California St., San Francisco 94118.
Oct. 9. Anaheim, CA.Chain Carving class with Jim Rahm, 9 AM-4PM, fee $25 . Contact Ganahl Lumber Co.,1220 East Ball Rd., PO Box 31, Anaheim,CA 92805 or (714) 772-5444 .
Oct. 9. Palo Alto, CA.Inside Bill Horgos, workshop with"Whittlin' Bill" Horgos, 9 AM-S PM, fee$45. Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona St., Palo Alto 94301 or (415)327-5335.
Oct. 9-31. Mendocino, CA.Show, Bill and Mary Hunter, lathe turnedand hand carved wooden art, Artisan GuildStore, 45050 Main St., Box ISIS, Mendocino 95460 .
Oct. 9, 16, 23, and 30. Corona, CA.Ganahl Lumber School of Woodworkingclasses: l-Power Tool Carving taught byGeorge Child, 9 AM-2 PM, fee $60;2-Beginning 3-D Woodcarving taught byChet Langan, 9 AM-noon, fee $50; 3-DecoyCarving taught by Chet Langan, I PM-4PM, fee $50. Contact Ganahl Lumber Co.,155 East Rincon, Corona, CA 91720 or (714)737-5142.
14
Oct. 13. Anaheim, CA.How To Sharpen Circular Saw Blades, classwith Carl Westberg, 7-10 PM ContactGanahl Lumber Co., 1220East Ball Rd., POBox 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714)772-5444.
Oct. 16. Palo Alto, CA.Introduction to Wood Turning, workshopwith Steve Johnson, 9 AM-S PM, fee $45.Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona St., Palo Alto 94301 or (415)327-5335.
Oct. 16. San Diego, CA.Fall Swap Meet, free. Contact The CuttingEdge, 7626 Miramar Rd. Suite 3500, SanDiego, CA 92126 or (714) 695-3990 .
Oct. 16 and 23. Anaheim, CA.How To Do Power Tool Joinery, class withCarl Westberg, 8 AM-3 PM, fee $45 . Contact Ganahl Lumber Co., 1220 East BallRd., PO Box 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or(714) 772-5444 .
Oct. 16, 23, and 30. Anaheim, CA.Beginning 3-D Woodcarving with JackKlempner, 9 AM-I PM, fee $50. ContactGanahl Lumber Co. , 1220East Ball Rd., POBox 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714)772-5444 .
Oct. 18 & following. Palo Alto, CA.Woodworking for Beginning Beginnerscourse, taught by Brian Burns, five Mondayevenings, 7-9:30PM, fee $65. Contact PaloAlto Woodworking, 820 Ramona St., PaloAlto, CA 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Oct. 18-20. Richmond, CA.Seventh International Wood MatchingSeminar . Contact R. Szymani, University ofCalifonia Extension, 47th and HoffmanBlvd., Richmond, CA or (415) 231-9582.
Oct. 20 and 27. Anaheim, CA. IHow To Use Japanese Hand Tools, classwith Carl Westberg, fee $20. Contact Ganjahl Lumber Co., 1220 East Ball Rd., PqBox 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714)772-5444. I
Oct. 21. San Francisco Bay Area. IThird Thursday Spotlight and Shop Talks,7:30 PM, Bay Area Woodworkers' Associajtion , Contact BAWA at PO Box 421195San Francisco, CA 94142 for details.
Oct. 23. Palo Alto, CA.Steam Bending and Laminating workshopwith Art Espenet Carpenter, 10 AM-4 PMfee $45 . Contact Palo Alto Woodworking ,820 Ramona si ., Palo Alto, CA 94301 of(415) 327-5335.
Oct. 23-24. San Francisco, CA.Grew-Sheridan Studio Chairmaking Seminar, 6-9 PM Saturday & 10 AM to 5 PMSunday . Fee $50. Contact The Cutting EdgJ
IWorkshop, 1836 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA94710 or (415) 548-6011 .
Oct. 24. Palo Alto, CA.A Radical Approach to Woodworkinlecture-demonstration & hands-on course]taught by Brian Burns, IOAM-6PM, fee $45,Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona si., Palo Alto, CA 94301 or (415327-5335.
Oct. 30. Anaheim, CA.Plain and Decorative Wood Finishes, c1as~
with Ed Ernst, 9 AM-4 PM, fee $25. ContactGanahl Lumber Co., 1220East Ball Rd., POBox 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (7141772-5444 .
Pacific Woodworker
IOct. 30. Los Angeles, CA. and Berk-
eley, CA. Fall Swap Meet, two locations ,free. Contact The Cutting Edge, 3871 GrandView Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066 or (213)390-9723; or 1836 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA94710 or (415) 548-6011.
Oct. 30 and Nov. 5. Palo Alto, CA.Furniture Design workshop with MerryllSaylan, two part course Saturday 9 AM-5PM and Friday, 10 AM-5 PM, fee $75. Contact Palo Alto Woodwork ing, 820 RamonaSt., Palo Alto 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Nov. 1. Sacramento, CA.California Crafts XIII exhibition, deadlinefor slides, entry form, and fees. Jur ied exhibit sponsored by Creative Arts League ofSacramento . Accepted works to be on display March 12-April17, 1983, open to California craftspersons. Further information,entry blanks available from Crocker ArtMuseum, 216 0 St. , Sacramento, CA 95814.
Nov. 3. Anaheim, CA.How To Use Power Jo inters and SurfacePlaners, class with Jim Nash, 7-10 PM, fee$10. Contact Ganahl Lumber Co. , 1220EastBall Rd., PO Box 31, Anaheim, CA 92805or (714) 772-5444.
Nov. 4 & following. Palo Alto, CA.Plane Making course, five Thursdays,7-9:30PM, fee $80. Contact Brian Burns,Palo Alto Woodworking, 820 Ramona St. ,Palo Alto, CA 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Nov. 5-6. San Diego, CA.Toshio Odate Lecture and Seminar, "TheTraditional Japanese Craftsman and HisTools." Lecture Friday 7 PM, Seminar Saturday 9 AM-5PM and Sunday 9AM-2PM.Seminar attendance limited to 25, $90 fee includes admission to lecture. Lecture only fee$10. Reserve in advance at The CuttingEdge, 7626 Miramar Rd., Suite 3500, SanDiego, CA 92126.
Nov. 5-28. Davis, CA.Artery Woodworke r' s Joint Show, piecesranging from fine furniture to musical instrumen ts, The Artery, 207 G St. , Davis.
Nov. 6. Anaheim, CA.How To Install Entr y Doors, class with CarlWestberg, 8 AM-3 PM, fee $20. ContactGanahl Lumber Co., 1220East Ball Rd., POBox 31, Anaheim , CA 92805 or (714)772-5444.
Nov. 6. Palo Alto , CA.Beginning Casework workshop with LewisBuchner, 9 AM-5PM, fee $45. Contact PaloAlto Wood working , 820 Ramona St., PaloAlto , CA 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Nov. 6-28. Mendocino, CA.Show, Robin Thompson, Woodworker.Reception 3-5 PM Nov. 6. Artisans GuildStore , 45050 Main St., Box 1515, Mendocino 95460.
Nov. 9 & following. Palo Alto, CA.A Radical Approach to Woodworking,Lecture-Demon stration & Hands-on coursetaught by Brian Burns, five Tuesday evenings, 7:30-9:30PM, fee $50. Contact PaloAlto Woodworking, 820 Ramona St., PaloAlto, CA 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Nov. 10. Anaheim, CA.How To Do a Hand Rubbed Oil Finish, classwith Jim Nash , 7-10 PM, fee $10. ContactGanahl Lumber Co., 1220East Ball Rd., POBox 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714)772-5444.
Nov. 13. Palo Alto, CA.Advanced Casework workshop with LewisBuchner , 9 AM-5 PM, fee $45. Contact PaloAlto Woodworking, 820 Ramona St. , PaloAlto, CA 94301 or (415) 327-5335.
Continued
The Plane Facts
from Brian Burns
Palo Alto Woodworking
cutting edge, rather than a variableheight above it.
Another advantage of the woodbodied planes our students make isthat the student can true up the plane
In our plane making classes the stu- himself, in his own shop. For a planedent makes two wood bodied planes, to be in really good tune, the bottom7" smoothing plane and an 18" jointer has to be absolutely flat. Typical castplane. We provide all materials includ- iron planes are not aged castings, anding top quality Japanese steel for the often contain unrelieved stresses. Thusplanes. We also provide instruction in metal planes tend to warp. It is virtumaking modified Krenov-style planes, ally impossible for the individualwith a double bevel system in place of woodworker to correct an iron bodya chip breaker. A secondary level pro- plane in his own shop, except for aduces the cutting angle . The chip very small plane. But he can true upbreaker is a compromise method of his wood bodied plane in minutes.varying the cutting angle, but it can- We use Japanese steel in our planenot produce a smooth surface on diffi- making course, because Japanese steelcult woods such as curly maple or has a finer grain than US or Europeanbutcher block with the grain going steel. It is harder, stays sharper longer,every which way. Our plane has a bev- ,and provides a better quality edge. Weel on the top side as well as on the bot- recommend the gold Japanese sharptom. By varying the angle of the top ening stone. Compared to a 1200 gritlevel, you can change the cutting an- for the finest Arkansas stone, the goldgle. Then this plane does a better job Japanese stone has about an 8000 grit.than a smoothing plane does, as the The sharpened blade has a mirror fincutting angle goes right down to the ish, and no burr. The chief drawback-,;,,;;.;-_.:.
e ct ob er /Novem b er 1982I
I
of the Japanese stones is their softness, so they're more easily nicked.But that same softness means thestones are easy to resurface. A piece offine sandpaper drawn over a sheet ofglass restores the surface in a jiffy. Asimple jig and a set of shim locks varies the cutting angle.
15
Nov. 13 and 20. Anaheim, CA.Intermediate 3-D Woodcarving, class withJack Klempner, 9 AM-4 PM, fee $50. Contact Ganahl Lumber Co ., 1220 East BallRd., PO Box 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or(714) 772-5444.
Nov. 15, Berkeley, Los Angeles, andSan Diego, CA. Closing date forChristmas Ornament Contest , The CuttingEdge stores. Contact the stores for detailsand rules: 1836 Fourth St. , Berkeley, CA94710 or (415) 548-6011; 3871 Grand ViewBlvd. , Los Angeles, CA 90066 or (213)390-9723; and 7626 Miramar Rd . Suite 3500,San Diego, CA 92126 or (714) 695-3990.
Nov. 17. Anaheim, CA.How To Use Hardwoods, class with JimNash, 7-10 PM, fee $10. Contact GanahlLumber Co., 1220 East Ball Rd., PO Box31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or (714) 772-5444.
The 1981 Gift Fair at Ganahl Lumber, Los Angeles, CA.
Nov. 20. Corona, CA.How to Install Entry Doors class with CarlWestberg, 8 AM-3 PM, fee $20. ContactGanahl Lumber Co., ISS East Rincon,Corona, CA 91720 or (714) 737-5142.
Dec. 3-4, Berkeley, CA.Sam Maloof Lecture and Workshop.Lecture/Slide Show Friday, 7-8:30 PM,tickets $10. Workshop Saturday, IOAM3PM , $55, limited to 30 people. Register inadvance by contacting The Cutting Edge',1836 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA 94710.
Nov. 20. Palo Alto, CA.The Designing Process workshop with ArtEspenet Carpenter, 10 AM-4 PM, fee $45.Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona St., Palo Alto 94301 or (415)
327-5335. INov. 27. Palo Alto, CA.
American Windsor Style, 1725-1825, workshop with John Kassay, 9 AM-4 PM, feb$45. Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona St., Palo Alto 94301 or (415)327-5335.
Dec. 11-12. Anaheim, CA.Gift Fair. Space available for craftspersons,tables and chairs provided, cost $30. Participants must show both days . Contact JimNash, Project Coordinator, Ganahl LumbetCompany, 1220 East Ball Rd., PO Box 31,Anaheim 92805 or (714) 772-5444. I
IPacific Woodworker will publicize
events of interest to woodworkers.Send complete information to PacifibWoodworker Calendar, P.O. BOf4881, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Deadiline for Issue 10 is October 25, 1982.
We would especially like to hea~more from Western woodworkersand woodworking organizations outtside of California. Let us help publi
rcize your events, shows, and Classes.,
Pacific Woodworker
Recane or re-rush heirloom chairs- for YOilrself 01 for others as a .profitablehobby- with our full lineof materials & instruction books,
Since 1934 Amer ica's largestselection of caning & basketrymaterials & supplies -• Superior quality weninl cane
& machine WDYen cane• Flat, oul & round reeds• Fibre & lenuine rush• Danish seat cord• Raffia, rattan, sealrass
Illustrated catalogwith complet e howto -do-It informat ion, prices. orderform: $1 (r ef undable with 1st order)
Nov. 20. Anaheim, CA.Tool Fair. Representatives from tool manufacturing companies will demonstrate products . Ganahl Lumber Co., 1220 East BallRd., PO Box 31, Anaheim, CA 92805 or(714) 772-5444.
Nov. 20, Berkeley, Los Angeles, andSan Diego, CA. Power Tool Demonstration Day featuring Inca , Hegner, Henniker, Makita and Lurem stationary powertools, free. The Cutting Edge stores : 1836Fourth St., Berkeley CA, (415) 548-6011;3871 Grand View Blvd., Los Angeles CA ,(213) 390-9723; and 7626 Miramar Rd. Suite3500, San Diego CA, (714) 695-3990.
Wood ToyParts &Patterns
*Largest Selection*The "Standard of theIndustry"
since 1972
Nov. 17 & following. Palo Alto, CA.Snug the Joiner's Basic Skills course, taughtby Brian Burns , eight Wednesdays, 7-9:30PM, fee $100, enrollment limited to 12.Contact Palo Alto Woodworking, 820Ramona St., Palo Alto 94301 or (415)327-5335.
16
Wholesale
Catalog Free
I~.LtWe-Built'Toys, Inc.
Dept. C8, Tahoe City,CA 95730-5459
Pacific Woodworker's
Shop Tip
Pacific Woodworker would like tocontinue its Question and Answercolumn, but we need your questions.Do you have all the answers to everywoodworking problem? If not, sendus your stumpers, and we'll try tohelp. Write Pacific WoodworkerQuestion and Answer, P.O. Box4881, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.
IThere are times in woodworking
Iwhen you want to shut off your tablesaw quickly, without letting go of youri,ork, or without taking your eyes offIthe blade. Steven Higbee shared his soIlution to this problem recently withImembers o f the Sonoma CountyI
)Voodworker's Association and PacificWoodworker at the Association's picI
nic. (Pacific Woodworker will havemore to say about Steve's magnificentcustom house in Guerneville , CA,where the picnic took place, in a futureissue.)
Steven Higbee 's Kick Offquick shutoffismade ofa scrap ofplywood.
1October/November 1982I
II
Steven 's idea was to add a kickboard to the power box of his Unisaw.He suspended the board on the hingefrom a block of wood clamped aroundthe power conduit, but the innovativewoodworker can adapt this system toany saw. A hole in the board allowsaccess to the On button, and the boardrests on the Off button. To turn offthe saw, the operator need only kickout with his knee, and the boardpunches the protruding Off button! Ametal guide near the bottom keeps theboard in place, and the Off buttonprovides enough spring action to holdthe board in proper position for easykicking.
Steve notes only one problem withthis system: "I constantly bang myknee on my jointer, which isn'tequipped with this kick cutoff!"
The first book inover sixty years that is devotedexclusively to polychromatic wood assembly forthe beginner or advanced turner. It providesprofessional guidance by two internationallyknown masters of the art with over seventyyears of combined experience.
Includes plans and instructions for the construction of necessary jigs for polychromaticassembly. One hundred and thirteen pages ofdetailed instructions and illustrations. plus morethan fifteen projects for the wood turner.
The Kick Offhangs from a crude clamparound the po wer conduit. The hole pro videsaccess to the Start button.
POLYCHROMATIC
ASSEMBLY for
WOODTURNINGBy Emmett E. Brown & Cyril Brown
Introduction by Frank KnoxNewly revised and enlarged edition, 8V2" x11" spiral bound for the workbench.$15.95 California residents add 6% salestax. At your bookstore . or order from:
LINDEN PUBLISHING CO.3845 North Blackstone
Fresno, California 93726
17
The Quest for the Thinnest Blade
by Richard Silvera
~i.~%J ~ ~n
55'%.X2.2
IAbove: The Tsumura trademark on their 10'1'blade. Below: The Tsumura blade islessthan halfthe thickness ofEuropean saw I
blades.
The Tsumura blade in the 10" and 12'1'sizes leaves a kerf of 5/64 of an inch.These blades are particularly well suit~ed for resawing stock with the tablsaw and channeling the edges of wid~boards for aid in resawing on the band
I
TheTsumura Blade
When I mentioned my long-standingneed for a quality, narrow-kerf blade,my friend took me to the TsumuraCompany which has developed a carbide tipped circular saw blade that isincredibly thin. As we toured the modern facilty where the Tsumura bladesare produced, I grew even more excited over this discovery.
have been searching for a high-quality,thin table saw blade. I believe I havefound that saw blade.
Miki, Japan
A trip to Japan has long been on mywish list, to study Japanese architecture first hand and hopefully meetsome of the renowned Japanese craftsmen. This Spring I finally fulfilledthat dream. In my week in Tokyo, Iasked where the best tools were made.Invariably, the answer was Miki, asmall town near Osaka. Railpass inhand, I hastened to Miki, and was fortunate enough to run into an Englishspeaking international representativeand distributor of fine tools. He be- .friended us and took us on a two daytour of the town's tool companies, including a visit to one of the best chiselmakers I have ever seen.
Author's Note: Richard Silvera hasworked in the furniture industry foreleven years, woodcrafting for WalterJacobi and Sons and several small production shops in the Chico area.
,
Closer book matches are another benefit ofthe narrow blade, used here to channel edgesprior to bandsawing. Notice the normal kerfin the block on top.
I live in an area which produces someof the most beautiful walnut in theworld. Along with other woodcraftsmen, I have grown to love and respectthis fine claro walnut , as I strive to reveal the full beauty of the wood andgrain patterns in my work. But as thisand other fine hardwoods become rarer and more expensive, I hate to seesuch a large proportion of my woodend up as useless chips and sawdust.Laser technology will one day providepaper-thin cuts, but that day is not yethere. So for more than two years I
18 Pacific Woodworker
sL. The Tsumura's kerf Is only halfI
that of my thinnest Freud blade,~hich translates as half the waste, and
I
closer bookmatches . The narrow kerfI
also reduces cutting resistance. Asmall table saw breezes through 2"
I
thick oak with a Tsumura blade.I purchased a 12" 40 tooth " rough
rip" blade which I now use for 90070 ofall my cutting. It not only slipsthrough the thick Butte County (CA)carlo walnut with ease, but it also
Icrosscuts plywood more cleanly than
Imy 80 tooth European panel blade!
Sharpening and Warping The Tsumura blade makes a very clean cut.
The narrow kerf reduces friction, and the Tsumura blade breezes through 2 " sto ck withoutheat buildup.
October/November 1982I
II
The Tsumura rip blade features aslight alternate top bevel (see Pacific
I
Woodworker's Table Saw Q & A, Issue5l page 29). The face bevel, combined~ith the reduced size of the removed
I
chip s, renders little potential forI . ftearout. I have not seen this type 0
face bevel grind on any other carbidetipped blade; it makes a big differencein achieving a smoother cut. There isno trouble in jigging up to resharpenthe blade , and it takes no speciale6uipment or extra time. I would caution you, however, to use a fine gritsharpening wheel and keep a lighttouch.
I
My initial concerns about possiblebending and warpage with a blade thisthin proved to be completely groundless. The Tsumura blade tracks asstraight as any thicker blade I have ever used. The narrower cut and reducedfriction cut down on heat buildup, andeliminate warpage. Yes, you can makethe blade bend in a trim cut, with pressure on only one side of the blade , butif this is a serious concern, the Tsumura trim blade , about 3/16" thick,will handle the problem. I have neverneeded the thicker blade in my experience.
More recently I have acquired some10" Tsumura blades. The 60 toothcrosscut blade exceeds the performance of any other blade I have tried onmy Dewalt miter saw. It produces a"paper edge" clean cut on all sides ofmy test pieces. The 80 tooth plywoodblade produces a cut so clean it is hardto tell top from bottom!
This is not a specialty blade in Japan. It is a high quality, industrialgrade tool that is now commonthroughout the Japanese woodworking industry. The blades are availablein sizes from 7 1/4 inch to 24 inches,with from 35 to 140 teeth. The largerblades are slightly thicker (3-4mm) butstill very thin by Western standards.The power necessary to drive thesethin blades is greatly reduced, andtheir light weight is an important factor in the durability of any saw.
I am very excited about this technological advance, and until the portablewoodworking laser is perfected, I'llstick with my Tsumura blades.
I have arranged with the manufacturers of these blades to distribute themin the American market. Anyone whowishes to acquire a Tsumura blade, orwho requires further informationshould contact me at: R. Silvera FineTool Imports, 9063 Lasell Lane, Durham CA 95938.
19
Synergism in Chair MakingDifferent backgrounds help
chair makers win awards
by Chod Harris.
It would be hard to find two moreconstrasting personalities sharing awoodworking shop than Jeff Dale andDennis Young of Petaluma, CA. Jeffeffuses high energy, pouring forthwords in a flood, bouncing around theshop, never still. It's like being in aroom with a perpetual motion machine. On the other end of the shopDennis works quietly and efficiently,with hardly a wasted motion. Hiseconomy of movement and placid, unpretentious style suggest the tranquility of traditional Japan.
Yet their different personalities anddiverse backgrounds blend in a raresynergism. They share ideas, suggestions and criticism as well as space andtools, and produce award winningchairs as different as their backgrounds.
Dennis You ng has been designingand building furniture for eight years,specializing in traditional chairs . Heblends Oriental philosophy and woodworking techniques with traditionalEnglish designs to produce high quali ty Windsor chairs and other furniture.
Dennis turned to woodworking inthe late 60s, as he began to appreciatethat a truly independent, self sufficientindividual needed a marketable craft.The question arose, where would helearn the craft? His brother had studied pottery in Japan, so Dennis tookthe unusual step of searching for awoodworking apprenticeship in Japan. The process of locating a positionand obtaining the necessary visas tooktwo years .
His efforts were finally rewardedwhen he located a small rnanufactur-
ing plant run by an older craftsmanwho wanted to preserve the tradition~1Japanese methods of making fine fU~niture. The owner reasoned that an~one who would come all the way to Japan to study woodworking showed the
I
proper desire for the job. DennisI
joined 10 other apprentices workingunder several Japanese master craft smen as part of the lengthy process oflearning Japanese woodworking. (Seebox.)
Dennis learned chair-making because his Japanese teacher was a chairmaker. Nowadays more Japanese areusing chairs, especially to eat. While,the design of the chairs is slightly dif-ferent from a Western chair, the construction is similar.
Four years after he arrived in J I
pan, Dennis took his hand made tools
Hand made Japanese woodworking tools cover the walls behindDennis Young, as he finishes a California Maple dining table.
20
Jeff Dale produces award-winning furniture with an Orientalflavor in his Petaluma, CA shop.
P a cifi c w oodworkJ
Some thoughts on design by Dennis Young
A selection ofhand crafted chairs by Dennis Young.
"Furniture should be spiritually satisfying as well as technically well crafted.
"My own designs are very close tothose I picked up overseas. But I continue to work with the designs, makingthe shapes evolve. I am beginning to
relate to the piece as a whole ratherthan looking at each part separately. Ihave the crest in mind as I shape thelegs; I have the arms in mind as I formthe seat. I am beginning to introducesome of my own visualizations."
ImllI
"Craftsmen should study the evolution of design in furniture, such as theimportant introduction of curvilinearshapes in the Queen Anne chair in theearly 1700s, for example. That influence is still being felt today. But toomany furniture makers fail to take thetime to study the tradition of furnituremaking, and instead practice self indulgence in design.
"I feel that there are very few of uswoodworkers, myself included, whoare in the genius category, and able tobe wonderful designers and wonderfulcraftsmen all at once. Perhaps aftermany years of experience this can occur, but even the finest craftsman to
day is part of an evolution of designwhich has been going on for hundredsof years.
and woodworking skills to England toI
find out more about traditional West-ern chair making. Through a gallerydwner, Dennis wangled an introduct on to a chair maker in High Wyckham. The wages were meager and the
Ichair factory always cold but DennisJ as willing to put up with the poorI di fcon mons or two more years.
Dennis returned to the States withs x years of study and practice in traditional chair design and manufacturetiehind him. He had never seen tradi- .tionally made Windsor chairs produced in the States, so he knew he had~ marketable skill.
His six years of arduous living con
lilionsand difficult study began '0
October/November 1982
payoff as soon as he returned toNorthern California. Dennis borrowed a shop, put every cent he hadinto wood and began making chairs ona speculative basis. One chair soldright out of the shop, to a person whowandered in the front door. Twoothers sold through galleries.
Within months Dennis bought a carand more wood for more chairs. Withhis own hand tools and a borrowedband saw, he began to produce chairsto sell in San Francisco's Japan Town.More recently, awards at" the MarinCounty (CA) Woodworkers Association exhibit and a First Place at theMarin Fair in the woodworking division produced commissions. Now,
word-to-mouth and gallery exhibitsprovide continuing business.
Dennis attributes his initial successto his hard-won skills, and some luck.But he also feels his choice of specialtyhelped considerably. "My furniture isrecognizable in style, so it does not require an astute connoisseur to tell thatthe chairs are lasting, quality pieces of
furniture."
His Oriental training reflects Dennis's reverence for wood and traditional woodworking methods. "I workwith wood to work with wood," hesays. "Because there is no motor between you and wood you can see thewood; you can hear what the wood issaying to you." This close association
21
Dennis Young swears by hide glue. "It's well worth the extra trouble . ..
between the craftsman and his productcombines with wood's tiny irregularities to give a warmer feel and handmade spirit to each finished piece."Besides," Dennis concludes, "Traditional tools keep you physically fit.There are no overweight woodworkers."
Jeff Dale, Dennis's colleague, hasbeen "making things" since he was 8years old. His interest in painting andsculpture induced his parents to finance his study at the Maryland Institute of Art, but Jeff rapidly becamedisillusioned with the fine art field aspresented there. "The classes were afarce" recalls Jeff. "The art was ridiculous neon, Plexiglass and stainlesssteel. Nothing was functional, practical."
But Jeff found that independentstudy of old Japanese and Chinese artwas more satisfying. "If the teachershad only looked back, they wouldhave seen that it was all done back inthe Sung Dynasty." A quick trip to theOrient confirmed his Eastern leanings."Maybe I'm reincarnated Oriental. Ilike their attitude toward life," hemuses. This love of the Orient carriesover into design elements in his work.
22
Almost ten years after coming toCalifornia with a hundred dollars inhis pocket, Jeff began branching outfrom his trade as a carpenter to designand make fine furniture. He continuesto work on home restoration and interiors while making chairs as a form ofself expression.
"I want to make furniture that willstand the test of time, future heirlooms," says Jeff. Starting with traditional designs, Jeff introduces uniqueelements, striving for good balance inesthetically pleasing, functional objects. "Ideally I would like to make atherapeutic chair, one which wouldsupport the part of the back that needed it, that would heal the sitter." Jeffcontinues, "I would like to have acommission to create an environment,an entire room, including the furnitureto coordinate and harmonize the interior and the furniture."
Jeff pulls design elements from avaried background with a lot of trialand error. "I collect all the things I
Right: Jeff's cherry chair won First Place inthe Sonoma County Woodworker's Association show in May.
have in mind-photographs, drawings-and mix them up in my head. IIset up the parts of a chair, for exa~
ple, and play with them, adding different legs, changing curves, and see whatworks together. I really dig doing thi,not knowing exactly what I will be d -ing. I never get bored." I
Simple, clean shapes predominate inJeff's furniture. "I try to keep my fedton the ground and not go into nevernever land with weird shapes. I like thb
-------1- natural organic feel of rounded shap~sand human proportions." The simplid-
Pacific WoodworkJ
The Woodworking
Apprentice
in Japan
ity of Jeff's work allows the naturalbeauty of the hardwoods to showthrough. Oriental elements frequentlyappear in his work, but not just asIcopies of Eastern furniture. The topof a wardrobe, for example, mightIsuggest the sweeping curve of a pagoIda, but the original Oriental wardrobe
ould have no such addition.A thoroughly practical streak runs
I
throUgh Jeff's work. "I appreciate therestrictions of economic necessity. If itisn' t economical to build, I can't buildit ." So Jeff uses shortcuts such as
October/November 1982
Plexiglass templates and power toolsin addition to hand tools, although heis using more hand tools , not becauseof dogma but because he realizes theireffectiveness. "Technique really boresme when that 's all there is to a piece.It's as transient as our California society."
The checks and balances inherent insharing their small shop ensure thatboth Jeff and Dennis avoid this pitfall.While their work is separate and distinct , inevitably they discuss theirwork with each other, and often influence each other's designs. Each contributes his distinct background, approach and personal style to therelationship. Commenting on the synergistic relationship between himself
Few American woodworkers enterapprentice programs at all, much lesspack off to Japan for a few years tolearn a traditional craft. PacificWoodworkerasked Dennis to describethe Japanese apprenticeship program.
"Working and living conditionswere arduous. The apprentices lived ina nearby museum, caring for the exhibits, cleaning the building and maintaining the garden, all while working8-10 hours a day at the shop. Duringhis first two years of apprenticeshipthe apprentice worked at menialchores, from cleaning toilets to sanding and cutting wood."
After about two years, the apprentice is assigned to a master craftsmanto begin learning the basic woodworking skills and tools. Dennis remembers, "For your first two years youlooked forward to that day when youwere actually taken to work with the
x
and Dennis, Jeff says, " I would like tohave more woodworkers working together. It helps keep up morale."
Judging by the awards and financialsuccess these two have achieved, perhaps other woodworkers should consider the benefits of sharing a workshop.
This is the second in our series ofarticles on successful woodworkingshops. We will be highlighting someother shops in future issues, as we askwoodworkers to share their methodsand ideas with Pacific Woodworkerreaders. If you know of a shop thatshould be considered for this series,please let us know.
teacher. The work would not get lessintensive, but after those two yearsyou were reasonably secure in yourcommitment to learn. You had a lot ofhard knocks behind you."
Dennis doesn't recommend the experience to the average Americanyouth. "Working under the masterJapanese craftsmen was a humblingexperience. These skilled workersdidn't blow their own horns, and actually put down their skills until they had10-12years experience. Further, the individual personality of the woodworker is expected to be totally suppressed.The apprentice has to be most respectful to the masters at all times." Dennisacknowledges that this attitude is verydifficult for a Westerner to accept. ButDennis mastered this Oriental philosophy at the same time that he developedhis woodworking skills.
23
Amazonian Hardwoods, Part 2
Their Properties
by Howard L. Waldron
© by Howard Waldron 1982
In the last issue, I introduced youto some of the Amazonian hardwoods and their extreme durability.This installment considers woods as ascientific material, focusing on thetropicals. I will discuss what we knowabout wood from an engineeringpoint of view and what we can infer,focusing on the tropicals.
'on,jeniia.D ... WeaKe.st
RaJiaP
'r» iJuJinQP •.. Sironjest
WhatDo WeKnow?Fig. J: The three directions for wood are tangential (TJ, radial (R) and longitudinal (L).
Density and Specific Gravity
D = Weight (Ib/ftl or pef)Volume
SpecificGravity (G) is the ratioof the density of a given wood to thedensity of water (62.4 pcf):
These are two ways to express theheaviness of wood. Density (D) isweight per unit volume:
= 1.28
(no units-purenumber)
806.24
D62.4
G=
G=
The heaviest wood I know of isLignumvitae (Guiacum, various species), for which D = 80 pcf', Thus,for Lignumvitae we can calculate:
(R),/and longitudinal (L). (See Figure1.)
As builders and miners long haveknown, wood is strongest longitudinally (L) and weakest tangentially(T).
The values, or magnitudes, of themain engineering properties of hardwoods tell us a lot about the inservice performance of each. But it isconfusing to look at an array of eightor more numbers for each species.To simplify the task and reduce thisconfusion, I've boiled down the system of numbers to two indices thatreflect two main considerations of thewoodworker: durability and stability.The Relative Durability Index wasdiscussed in Pacific Woodworker Issue 8 (Aug.lSept. 1982), pp. 22-25.The Stability Index will be discussedlater in this installment.
But first, let's consider wood'seight main properties, one at a time.
About the author: Howard L. Waldronis Managing Director of HardwoodLumber Wholesalers, San Francisco,CA, importers of Amazonian hardwoods.
Wood starts out in the tree as awaterlogged structure of solid materials flooded with water. As it dries,wood shrinks in three directions (thesolids move closer together) and airbegins to fill most of the space formerly occupied by water. Thus thewood grows lighter in weight. As itcomes to the woodworker, wood is anairy castle. Its solid materials tend toweigh about 94 pounds per cubicfoot (pet). However, varying amountsof air and water mixed with this solidmaterial result in woods that varyfrom less than 20 to a maximum ofabout 80 pcf',
There are three directions on ourcastle's map, tangential (T), radial
24 Pacific Woodworker
Since Lignumvitae (80 pcf) consistsof solids (94 pcf), water (62.4 pcf)Jnd air (0 pcf), we can see that it contains almost no air and very little water.
Bending Strength or Modulusof Rupture
Bending strength is measured bybreaking a specimen in bending (see
igure 2).
We measure the force to producefjupture and calculate the strength (psior pounds per square inch) of the6uter (maximally stressed) fibers (topnd bottom in the diagram above).
IFailure in bending occurs when outerI
fibers break in either tension orJompression; but shear along surI
faces parallel to the neutral surfaceImay cause or help to cause suchI
failure. Thus bending strength is not6nly easy to measure but also rich intneaning, for it tells us something~bout the tensile, compressive, andIshear strengths of the wood tested.
Modulus of Resilience
The Modulus of Resilience, expressed as foot-pounds per cubic inch,Imeasures how well wood acts as aJpring. It indicates the amount ofI ork the piece of wood can store upto its elastic limit. This stored energyleturns when the wood is released;the action is much like that of a bow""hich bends and then releases its~nergy to send the arrow on its way.I
Figure 3 shows the Modulus of Resi-I
lienee measured for a piece of woodI
in compression.
I
Fig. 3: Modulus ofResilience and StressStrain curve
IOctober/November 1982
Fig. 1: Bending Strength
Several different Moduli of Resilience can be measured: in compression (as in Fig. 3), tension, shear,torsion, bending, and perhaps others.The Modulus in bending tells us a lotabout how the material will performas a bow. For example, the bow-andarrow wood preferred by the Amazonian Indians is Ipe, which has anextremely high Modulus of Resiliencein bending. Incidentally, when thePortuguese first saw the Indians usingIpe, they named it Pau d'Arco, meaning "wood of the bow. "
Fig. 4: Stiffness. The steep slope means littlemovement for a given force. the flat slopemeans more movement
Stiffness or Young's Modulus
Stiffness of wood, or Young'sModulus, is measured in pounds persquare inch (psi). It represents theratio of stress to strain within theelastic limit. In other words, it is theslope of the straight-line portion ofthe stress-strain curve (See Figure 4).
Use of a stiff, strong wood such asCumaru (vanillawood) frequentlyallows the designer to make a partthinner. For example, the designercan create a thinner table leg or alonger table.
Crushing Strength
Crushing Strength represents thestress (force per unit area or psi)required to destroy the specimenwhen it is crushed parallel to the grain.(See Figure 5.)
Figs. 5 and 6: Crushing Strength, and failurewith shear and splitting
Crushing failure of wood usually isaccompanied by much shear andsome splitting, as shown in Figure 6.
Short blocks of wood fail in crushing, while longer columns (whoselength is 10 to 30 times their thickness) fail in bending.
Toughness
Toughness, expressed in psi, isusually measured in an Amsler testing machine, which has a pendulumhammer that swings and breaks ahorizontally held specimen. The hammer breaks the wood dynamically.The wood's toughness is then calculated as the stress in the extremefibers (see diagram under BendingStrength). A schematic of Amsler
testing is shown in Figure 7.
Toughness is a major considerationin the selection of wood for bowlingpins.
25
hammer
specimen
Fig. 7: The Amsler test of toughness
Janka Hardness
Several kinds of wood strength areindicated by the Janka hardness test.In this test, a 0.444" diameter ball ispushed into the side grain of aquarter-sawn specimen to a depth ofone radius (or half a diameter). Toget that deeply into the sidewall, theball breaks in tension quite a fewwood fibers and crushes others, asshown in Figure 8.
A high Janka hardness (expressedin pounds) tells us that the wood willresist denting, scratching, and muchof the surface distressing that damages the looks of fine furniture.
Fig. 8: Janka test, pushing a 0.444" ballone half diameter
Shrinkage
Finally, Shrinkage usually is measured from green (high MC or moisture content) to oven dry (0070 MC).The three primary measures of shrinkage are T, R, and L, shown inFigure 9.
A fourth measure, V or Volumetric, can be calculated as follows:
l = (1:.!1 (l -l!!(l -lJ100 100 100 100
But the following is very nearly true:
V=T+R+L
And since L is very small, it is verynearly true that:
V=T+R
Cuts from most woods are distorted by shrinkage, the distortiondepending on where in the crosssection the wood came from (seeFigure 10).
But if T = R, then no distortionoccurs during shrinkage. A square cutfrom any part of the cross-sectionremains a square after shrinkage, acircle remains a circle, and so forth.
What Can Welnfer?
Shrinkage of incompletely curedlumber causes its worst stability problem. But wood cured to equilibriummoisture content will still swell ashumidity rises and will shrink as itfalls. Such in-and-out, cyclical movement is called movement in service.Wood's movement in service urgentlyneeds more study, by measuring T,R, L, and V under different condi-
tions of relative humidity and temperature. However, there are somefacts we do know. Movement in service usually involves shrinkage duringdrying, so woods with low shrinkagetend to have the least movement inservice. Thus, given values of T, R,L, and V, we can infer that the moststable woods usually will have lowvalues for these four shrinkages.More specifically, we can infer thatthe most stable woods tend to havethe following three measurable properties:
T=R
v = Minimum
Density = Maximum
Let's discuss each of these separately.
T=RIn practice, this is never the case,
so we look for the ratio T/R to beas close to 1.00 as possible. An example of a wood with a very lowT/R is Macacauba (Platymiscium,various species), where T = 3.5% ,R = 2.7070, and T/R = 3.5/2.7 or1.30. In the Amazonian woods I havestudied, T/R ranges from 1.21 (Ipe)to 2.53 (Pau Ferro-Machaerium).Macacauba's 1.30 is third from thelowest.
v = Minimum
V is approximately equal to T + R,so we look for either low V or lowT + R.
Fig. 9: The three directions ofshrinkage
Fig. 10: Shrinkage and distortion depend on the cut
0/.--,---- R
--- - - 1-
(3.5-12.0010)
(2.6-6.0%)
(Less than 1%)
T R
lliUJIIDJnJ ~T R
26 Pacific Woodworker
Excellent
IpeTatajubaCocoboloHonduras MahoganyYellow Satinwood
Some of the worst movement inwood results from different longit dinal shrinkage. This causes crookiI~g, bowing, and twisting. Concernidg these distortions, we can say that
I
i~ volumetric shrinkage V is a mini-mum, all shrinkages will tend to belqw. To obtain an index for V thatwill be compatible with that for T/R(~bove), I divide V for each wood by6Js. (6.5 represents the V = 6.5%fJr Macacauba, which has the lowestv,1for any wood I have studied.) Thus:
v = VIndex6.5
Wood
Tops
Macacauba
Average
Teak
Worst
Eucalyptus
Table 1. Some representative stability indexes.
T/R V/6.5 73.5/D
1.30 1.00 1.15
1.21 2.03 1.041.27 1.57 1.47
1.59 1.31 1.431.37 1.20 1.791.12 1.97 1.30
2.32 1.08 1.84
1.50 3.23 1.36
St index
1.00
1.241.251.261.261.30
1.52
1.77
12" LONG BED JOINTER whh motor - '1695"
27
CUTIER KNIFE GRINDERModel 88T-20" $2958hlp wI. 77 Ibs. FOB YORK
LEASETHIS MACHINE
• 20" x 8" clplcity CALL OR WRITE• lutomltic flld FOR DETAILS• 3 HP 1 PH or 3 PH TEFC motor• doubll Y·bllt cutt.rh.ld drive• pow.r flld roll. ch.in driven ~• 3 knife cutterheld - knife lit jig• IIgmented Cllt ironchippers• IIctionel infeed roll
HEAVY DUTY • CAST IRON • INDUSTRIAL"8RIDGEWDDD" MODEL SHG200·A
$ 2 9 9 5 0 0 FREE SHIPPING• REGULAR '3995
SPECIALPAICE
C§9 WILKE MACHINERY CO .1519 Mt. Rose. York . PA 17403-2996
(717) 846 ·2800 • (717) 843·492~
little surprised to find that the ForestProducts Laboratory people 'way upthere in Madison had published moreand better information about Amazonian woods than had the Amazoniansthemselves!
In the next installment of this seriesI will consider some specific Amazonian hardwoods.
St = T/R + V/6.5 + 73.5/D
Stability Index
T/R index. Teakjfor example, with aD of 40.0, has a Dindex of 73.5/40.0= 1.52.
But the total, always 3.45 or more,is awkward to use. A better index,St index can be obtained by dividing allthe totals (the values of St) by 3.45(the lowest possible St). This resultsin a series of values of St index rangingupward from 1.00 for Macacauba.Table 1 shows some representativestability indices, not a complete tabuation of results. I invite commentsfrom woodworkers and technologists.
The stability numbers I have derivedare available for the first time in thisarticle. For those who would like tofind values for the other propertiesmentioned here, the best source of information on the Amazonian exotics isTropical Timbers of the World published in 1980 by the Forest ProductsLaboratory, P.O. Box 5130, MadisonWI 53705. I also have a copy of anexcellent two-volume Brazilian work,Catalogo da Madeiras da Amazonia(Catalog of the Woods of the Amazon)published by SUDAM, 1968. I was a
A good stability index St involvesadding the three indices T/R, V, andD:
Density = Maximum
Use of this formula gives us a rangeand direction compatible with the
IOctober/November 1982
I
D = 73.5 = 1.00Piratinera g.
73.5
In the woods I have studied, V. din ex
varies from 1.00 in Macacauba to3123 in Eucalyptus diversicolor, a
Inotably unstable wood.
The number 73.5 in this formularepresents the density of Piratinerag~ianensis, which has the highestdensity of any of the hardwoods IHave studied. Thus:I
VTatajuba = 10.2 = 1.576.5
For example, the index for Tatajuba, with V = 10.2010 is calculated:
Di
d = 73.5o ex --
D
Such a wood has less space formoisture absorption and movement.
I
Dense woods are more stable thanp'orous woods. To obtain a compatible density index for the variousIhardwoods, I calculate as follows:
I
The Del Mar Show
San Diego Fine Woodworkers
stage a highly successful exhibit.
by Sheldon Harris
The newly formed San Diego FineWoodworkers Association tackled amajor exhibit this summer, with theirown building at the Southern California Expo, more commonly known asthe Del Mar Fair.
Nearly 100 entries competed forspace in the show by passing throughthe San Diego Cutting Edge store
28
where Association President Lynn Rybarczyk took color slides in a studiosetting . Morris Shepard of Fine Woodworking magazine helped select the 45pieces which made up the show. Selection was made on the basis of designas well as craftsmanship.
More than 50 members of the Association manned the exhibit throughout
II
the fair. And all of the pieces that werefor sale were sold. I
Among the highlights at the showwas a cherry harpsichord by 20-yearold Craig Woodward. Craig says he
I
put more than a thousand dollars ofmaterials into the instrument, whichhe cannot play. If fact, he had to invit~a friend over to tune it. "My objectwas not to make money. I did it for thelove of woodworking," Craig said.
Long time wood carver Clay John}ston said of the show, "More tha nthree quarters of the work is of profestsional quality, way up from only a fewyears ago."
The San Diego Fine WoodworkersAssociation started only a year agoIprompted by the enthusiasm of LynRybarczyk and Jim Sherry, with the
Ihelp of Chuck Masters of the SanDiego Cutting Edge store. Before theDel Mar Fair, the Association boastedmore than 140 paid members, makij
II
IPacific Woodworker.
it l ne nf the largest in the country. Theofficers of the SDFWA deserve heartycongratulations for pulling the San
I
Diego woodworkers "out of the wood-work" and for producing a top-notchexhibit.
II
PI . B· d·revtous page: ob Bnggs an MikeI
Roxy produced this wall cabinet ofmahogany and imbuia. Top: Queen
I
Anne Desk in koa by John Goff,I
with book matched drop leaf ande,tposed dovetails. Right: Craig
I
Woodward's cherry harpsichord.
Below right: Holger Laubmier blended teak, mahogany and Formica inthis bathroom cabinet. Below left:Spiral table of Pacific pine byRocky Cross.
I
III
I
IOctober/November 1982
I
II
29
News and Notes
Pocket Moisture Meter
Dry your own wood? Lignomatnow offers a pocket sized handheldmoisture meter. LEDs indicate percentmoisture from 6 to 200/0. A two-position switch improves accuracy for different wood species. Contact Lignomat USA Ltd., 14345 NE Morris Ct.,Portland, OR 97230.
Love-Built Toys
Love-Built Toys has launched a mailorder supply shop. Their new catalogfeatures toy parts and patterns, as wellas books on making toys and children's furniture. Write them at P.O.Box 5459, Tahoe City, CA 95730.
Woodworking Calendar
Wood 83 is a calendar tribute towoodworking. The calendar featuresprominent wood artists including SamMaloof, Bob Stocksdale, Rudy Vargasand others. The calendar includes abrief biographical sketch and a photograph of a piece of each artist's work.$9.95 postpaid from P.O.Box 6248,Los Osos, CA 93402.
New Wood Finishes
New Products
Watco-Dennis Corporation has added four new colors to their popularline of wood finishes. Cherry, GoldenOak, Fruitwood and English Oak jointhe Natural and Walnut tone Danishoil finish line. See your local dealer orcontact Watco-Dennis, 1756 22nd St.1
Santa Monica, CA 90404.Continued on page 42
I
Marketing
Mail Order Marketing
by Thomas Kline
Gaining exposure for one's finehandcrafted wood products has always been a problem for the seriouswoodworker. Design and construetibn traditionally have absorbed sucha Ilarge portion of time that oftenlittle time is left to develop a markJting plan. Such was the problemf~ced by Marlen Kemmet, San Diegocraftsman.
Kemmet, a logistic engineer forGeneral Dynamics, makes qualitywood items at night and on weekends . But, like many other part timewoodworkers, he has found little time
Ifor even a small scale marketing
I
program.I"We were making wooden toys and
a Itwelve piece kitchen set," statedKemmet, "And having excellent success selling to friends and fellowworkers. But we found little time toget involved in an in-depth marketingplan. As a member of the San Diego
IFine Woodworking Association, Inoticed this problem was quite com
Imon among other woodworkers, too."
IIBecause both he and his wife have
other full time commitments, Kernmet began investigating the idea ofmail order marketing for wood products. He looked through severalpublic and college libraries to find
I
information to use in launching suchI •
a project.'''Most of the literature was either
qJite basic or outdated," reportedKemmet, "but we gathered enoughinformation to get us on our way. Wesoon realized that we would not haveenough time both to build and sellour products. So we decided to mar-
IOctober/November 1982
ket other woodworkers' products,allowing sufficient time for marketing and a little time to build formyself."
With this in mind, the Kemmetswrote to craftsmen throughout theUnited States who were known fortheir quality toys.
"We were quite surprised at theresponse we got," said Kemmet. "Wehad literally hundreds of toys tochoose from. We had no idea somany quality wooden toys were beingmade. After a great deal of deliberation, we selected 20 toys. We decidedto make a small catalog with these20 toys as well as parts for those whowanted to make their own."
Working weeknights and weekendsfor several months finally paid off.The catalog was finished in mid-Maythis year. "We did as much as possible ourselves to cut costs," saidKemmett. "I did all the photographyand my wife did all the layout work.We even stapled the catalogs ourselvesto save a few cents per catalog."
Kemmet added, "Although we didas much work as possible ourselves,printing and ads in national magazines can get really expensive. Thecatalog by no means compares toSears' or Penney's, but it is a start.It contains a five piece train, pulltoys, puzzles, banks, etc. Our goal isto incorporate other fine handcraftedwood items into next year's catalog.We would like to include kitchenitems, jewelry boxes, turnings andother small wood items. There are somany beautiful items being made. Wehope to achieve a better exposure for
these products for everyone to appreciate through our catalogs. We knowit won't be easy, but few fullfillingthings in life are!"
Kemmet added that the catalogssell for $1.00 apiece from WoodWizard, 3666 Mt. Acadia, San Diego,CA 92111.
31
- )THEL--/
FOURTHCORNER
Dealing With an Ordealby BillFarnsworth
On July 3rd, the eve of this year'sIndependence Day, a fire broke out inthe building where my shop waslocated. Less than five minutes elapsedbetween the time flames burst out thefirst window and alerted a workeracross the street, and the time firetrucks began to arrive . From ignitionto extinction, the fire could not haveburned more than fifteen minutes .But in that brief interval two woodworking businesses and a sail-makingloft were shut down, a dozen jobs
(lito,'$' Note: We heard about theire in Bill Farnsworth's shop shortly
after it occurred, when Bill's letter on singed paper salvaged from thei~t~1l - rived at Pacific Wood-
w.o,ker's office. Later I asked Bill if.e would mind sharing his experi
en~e, unpleasant as it has been, withour readers. The manuscript for thisissue's column is also charred andsmells of smoke, adding even morMvid impact to his words ' for ushere. Perhaps Pacific Woodworkenreaders may wish to take the tim
ow to assess your own shop's firrecautions and take the preventive
measures Bill suggests.
32
were interrupted, a third of a 7000square foot building turned into charcoal, and tens of thousands of dollars'damage were done .
It happened at about five P.M. ona Saturday, while my wife and I wereoff buying shoes for our son. Wearrived home to a ringing telephoneand the bad news. The fire fighterswere already drying out their hosesand hauling out debris when I reachedthe scene. The TV Eyewitness cameracrews were already gone with 20seconds of air time on tape. Thebuilding's ceiling joists were so badlyburned I was not allowed to enter myshop area to survey the damage. Escorted by a fire department lieutenant, I was permitted to examine themessin my smoke-and water-darnaged,but luckily unburnt, office. At leastthe browned and soggy records werereadable. Asked then to leave the premises while the mopping-up operation proceeded, and with feelings ofnumbness, confusion and a mountingsense of loss, I stood in the streetwhile firefighters dumped load afterload of my ruined tools, lumber andhardware into curbside piles. The fireinspector had many questions to askme and the other owners of businesses
I
in the building. The report wouldclaim an electrical cause. I suspeotthey just threw up their hands andpicked that explanation out of a ha ,however, since the power had beepoff at the breaker box when the firestarted. The building was newlywiredto commercial code, too. To me th1e
I
cause remains a mystery. Perhaps itwas some wild kid with a firecrackef,who knows... ?
Things could have been worse, Isuppose: no one was hurt, losses werenot insurmountable, I was absolvedof any contributing negligence, m~grandfather's lathe was salvaged. l,My business now has risen from theashes in a new location, and thanksto the help and patience of friendtrelatives, suppliers, clients, other
Iwoodworkers and my new landlord,it looks like my woodworking careerremains intact. I
IBut setbacks take their toll. Sud
Idenly I feel much older, more para-noid, and very tired . I have worked
Itwo months of 80 to 100 hour work
I
weeks, including a number of all-nighters spent getting month-late work
Iout the door, and long weekends get-ting the door itself built. I do ndt
Pacific Woodworker
recommend a fire as a way to startI
over fresh!IAfter a catastrophe of any sort,
one either makes the best of it orjust gives up. At times, I could stepback from calamity and get philosophical. For example, I would reflectthat my losses wouldn't add up tomuch if spread over a lifetime ofearnings. But I was underinsured forfire, and after a seven week waitrecovered only about thirty cents perdollar of loss. Even then my claimpayment did not take into account afull month's business interruption;n6r the time spent cleaning, oilingarid rewiring salvaged equipment; northe monumental hassle of movingand starting over in a new shop. Istill have tax records, drawings, contracts and piles of receipts in cardboard boxes, which will take monthsof moments stolen from other tasksto sort out. These boxes of mildewedpaper are beginning to smell likecompost.
II''1 do not recommenda fire as a way to startloverfresh!"
I
/My new shop space is in manyways a vast improvement over theolld. It is twice the size, part of anold Seattle millwork factory with aftill complement of woodworkingequipment in place, wired in, andducted to a massive dust-collectionsystem. Once I had signed the newlease (a better deal than the previousone), I was able to go back intoproduction more or less immediately.But still there was an office to build,new doors to cut in the existing walls,workbenches and storage spaces toconstruct. My office walls are stillbare plasterboard staring at me, witha door yet to hang in order to close
I
off my paperwork and telephonefrom the sawdust beyond. My workbtnches still consist of plywood sheets
II
October/November 1982
over sawhorses. Sooty, half-restoredtools remain in piles in the corners.Perhaps in six months or a year I willbe back to square one.
"Bringing designed order to chaotic space isone of the prime functions of cabinetmaking,one of its intangible rewards. "
Re-establishing a woodshop fromscratch has been expensive, time-consuming and exhausting, but in certainways it is a rewarding experience.Most of us accrue our equipment andtools gradually, buying what we canafford at the time, what's on sale atSears, what we successfully bid on atbankruptcy auctions, what we comeacross by accident, inheritance orshrewd bargaining. Many of mywoodworker friends still struggle withnine inch table saws or $19.00 drills,waiting for these beginner tools to fall 'apart so they can run to the industrialtool suppliers and upgrade. Though Ididn't quite know where all themoney was coming from, I was likea kid in a candy store the day I madethe rounds to suppliers and pickedout an entirely new set of tools (ab,blessed credit!). I wandered the catacombs of Builder's Hardware andSupply Company pushing a shopping
"Every woodworkershould have a comprehensive insurance policy, a trusted agent andreputable company.Don 't get burned twiceby afire."
cart, carefully weighing quality againstprice as I chose new screwdrivers,squares, saws and hammers. Laterthat day, at T and A Supply, I foundmyself purchasing many of the same
Bosch and Makita power tools thathad served me well before - an indication, I would later realize, of myfaith in their quality. I finally boughtthe Bosch jigsaw I had eyeballed forthree years while waiting for my ineptbut functioning Skil cheapie to die (itmelted in the fire instead). The Bosch#289 orbital sander I replaced withsame is also a gem. I'd buy severalMakita HPI030 hammer drills if Icould afford duplicate tools at thispoint - the HPlO30 is the most versatile, economical and high-qualityVariable Speed, Reversible model onthe market, and one can safely abuseit in masonry.
For me there also was somethingthrilling about laying out a new shopon paper, organizing it efficiently,then slowly transferring the final planto three-dimensional actuality. Thiswas a joy usually reserved for payingclients. I had the luxury of 2100
I square feet of space (plus loft storageand a workyard) to manipulate. Eventually my new space will be more
Aftermath 0/ a fire: charred posts and beamsremain in Bill Farnsworth 's devastated shop.
carefully organized than any kitchenor office space I have worked upon.Bringing designed order to chaoticspace is one of the prime functions ofcabinetmaking, one of its intangiblerewards. Because chaos has overwhelmed me lately, shop organizationhas soared from an infrequent passion to a driving obsession. I will remain restless until the last tool cabinet and lumber rack are in place.
Continued
33
There are a number of lessons I'velearned from all this. For starters, I'dsay every woodworker should have acomprehensive insurance policy, atrusted agent and reputable company.Don't get burned twice by a fire, as Idid. Make sure you increase your coverage as you acquire equipment, increase inventory or expand opera-
Finish WoodLike An Expertl
WATCO..DANISH OIL
"Five-in-One"WOOD FINISH
One easy application primes,seals , hardens, protects, beautifies!
With Watco you just WET-WAITWIPE, and you have an elegant,extremely durable finish that wouldplease the most critical professional.
Watco penetrates deeply creates a tough finish INSIDE thewood - makes wood up to 25percent harder. Can't chip, peel orwear away like a surface coating.Stains, scratches or minor burnsusually are spot repairable.
For complete information fill inand mail the coupon.
j--------------------I WATCO-DENNISCORPORATIONI 1756-22 nd. St., Dept . PW·10 2I Santa Monica , Californ ia 90404
I 0 Send name of ne.rest W.tco Dol.,
I 0 Send free bookl.t " Ho w to FinishI lIeauliful Wood" .
II Na me _,1 Stree t _
II C,tv--- - - - -----
I Sta le Zip _! -.J
34
tions. It's surprising how one's leftover lumber, miscellaneous hardwareinventory and tool purchases can addup to many thousands of dollars,even in a small shop. I couldn't believe I had over $500 worth of paintat replacement value, for example. Ifgrossly underinsured, one can bepenalized by a claim payment belowone's policy limit. Never let insurancecoverage fall below 800/0 of full valueof goods and equipment.
"Build and maintaineverything in your shopto code."
Secondly, build and maintain everything in your shop to code. The firemarshall's office with its ostensiblynitpicking rules is there to save lifeand property - don't look upon itsservices cynically. Proper wiring,building materials and safety devicesshould not be scrimped upon. Keepyour shop well swept, dusted andhazard-free. Have plenty of fire extinguishers of the ABC multi-purposetype. Keep flammable chemicals inclosed metal cabinets, use them inventilated areas, and consider installing fusible-link sprinklers, dry chemical or Halon-gas extinguisher systemswhere flammable chemicals are storedand used. For about $300 you canprotect a 1000 cubic foot storeroomnight and day unattended. Ask theguy who recharges your extinguishersabout the new Halon systems available. I have gained a heightenedawareness of how flammable a woodshop, by its very nature, is. Add toall the potentially combustible wood,explosive dust and sparking electricalequipment the many oils, lacquers,paints and solvents of our craft, andthe possibility of conflagration isterrifying. I was in a way fortunate most woodshop fires burn completelyto the ground! The purpose of safetyregulations and fire codes is to prevent a fire from igniting in the first
Re-establishing a woodworking business fromscratch is expensive. "
place, and secondly to slow a fire' sspread by precious minutes. FifteeJminutes put me out of business, near}ly permanently. I
Lastly, I'm learning that no matterhow far one gets thrown off track]things can and do return to normal]
Iparticularly when one's norm usuallyborders on frenzy anyway. The busi}ness of woodworking has been mostlya roller-coaster ride for me thus far; a
I
number of times I've found myselfscreaming down into setbacks, dislappointments and hard-knocks learn~ing experiences - but the ride doerrebound. Most woodworkers I've metare pretty resilient individuals, as the~early-on get used to the ups anddowns. We live daily under the Law~of Murphy . Our unpredictable medi
fum is prone to cracking, checking,delaminating and otherwise misbe~having at the worst possible times and
I
places. Our clients, suppliers andcashflow tend to be fickle. Yet alway~there is some way to fix things, t6make them right again. We use glu~
I
and putty, nails and screws, a di~-
ferent design or better method. Withresourcefulness, patience and stubrborn wills, we muddle through, eventhe worst of mishaps.
Bill Farnsworth is a custom cabinet(furniture-maker and a ContributingEditor. Bill's new address is Lens and
IHammer Woodworks, 4349 Leary
iWay NW, Seattle, WA 98107. Re-plies to The Fourth Corner and info+mation of interest to woodworkers in
Ithe Northwest should be sent to TheFourth Corner, Pacific Woodworke~,
IP.O. Box 4881, Santa Rosa, C95402.
Pacific Woodworker
-Organized By-
HARDWOOD LUMBERWHOLESALERS175 Yill. Terrace, Saile 711
,:."17 So Frucisco, CA 14114 • (415) 863·5785
-saves you money...Put this versatile power tool to work in your own
shop. See how fast it pays for itself! Quicklyconverts low-cost, rough lumber into valuable
finished stock. Turns out perfect quarter-round,casing, base mold, tongue &
groove . .. all popular patterns ... any custom design.
Commercial-size jointerproduces super
true edges,squared stock.
bevels, chamfers.
Comes complete with115 V. motor, switch,
stand, knives, full instructions ... ready to
use. Outperforms othercombination tools
at over twice its lowprice. Easy terms.
THE FIRST TRULYAFFORDABLE TOOL
OF ITS KINDREADY-TO-U5E
30 Day~ Trial
Send today for complete facts!
MAIL COUPON TODAYOR
CALL TOLL-FREE1(800) 824-7888 Ext. 642
In California 1(800) 852-7777 Ext. 642
Woodmaster Power Tools, Inc. Dept. 3P12849 Terrace Kans8lI City, MO 64108
...makes you money!Start your own high-profit business selling all
types of trim and millwork to lumberyards,ll2,E,E. carpenters, contractors, do-it-yourselfers.
~~Yf,~,,'t\~~ Use it to make grandfather clocks, gun
. . • , \\'lTO cabinets. paneling. flooring, furniture .. ._ , ~ almost any home or farm building project.
..0'r" ...~ \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -. ~~ .. WOODMASTER POWER TOOLS Dept. 3P12849 Terrace Kansas City, MO 64108
:..:..;:~~~o YES! Please rush me, free and II
without obligation, your Complete Information Name IKit on the new PLANER /MOLDER /JOINTER AddressI plus facts on Woodmaster 's30-Day FREE TRIAL IMoney -Back Guarantee . City 51818__ZIp__
_____________L ~
oOf1NO~~~FOUNDATION .~-~-"~ presents ~
~ The How To's of ~I Working Wood ~S Trade and Consumer Show ~~ Fort Ma:~n Center I
includesSeminars, Contests, Lectures, Demonstrations
For information on booth availability contact:
I~ Jan M. Cadwallader, S~ Show Coordinator I~ 4960 Hamilton Avenue. Suite 211 "
SanJose,CA 95130 ~S (408) 370-2944 ~
~~'~H~"''',q~,'-',.1~~~~~~~::==~
3~inW1 PLANER·~(ID~[ID~rn~OINTERPOWER-FEED ~
I@ctober/November 1982
I
35
Types of Stains
Continued from page JJ
36
Wood Staining
IPacific Woodworker
I
There are many different types ofstains on the market: water based, oilbased, alcohol based, dye, pigmentlgelled, penetrating and non-penetra-ing.
Water based stains in most casesare stains that blend water solubleaniline dyes in water base. We atGeneral Finishes do not recommendwater based stains because water isone of wood's worst enemies. Waterraises the grain of wood, warps woodand often starts the mildew and rotprocess in wood.
Alcohol based stains are madeusing the same types of dyes in analcohol base. This has the advantageof not raising the grain, but generallythese dyes are not as color fast as thepigmented stains.
Non-penetrating oil stains or gelledstains are thick stains which usuallyhave a linseed oil base and do notpenetrate the wood. Non-penetratingoil stains are nearly opaque, likepaint, and will cover and cloud thegrain more than other kinds of stainl
IThis type of stain hides the grainrather than highlighting it. I
Penetrating oil stains are the most' popular stains among craftsmen because of their ease in application andthe beautiful way they highlight the
I
grain of the wood. Penetrating oi~
stains often are a blend of dyes andpigments. Some penetrating oil stain~such as Sealacell, also have a sealer asa base and provide a wood seal at thesame time. I
Wood finishing and stainingshould be rewarding because you addcharacter and beauty to your project ]
I
Just as you develop different waysand techniques in woodworking soyou will develop different methods
Iwith staining and finishing. I hopeyou have found this article to b~informative. In a future issue I willdiscuss the different types of finishesand appropriate application tech~niques.
face then removes excess surface residue which has not been absorbed intothe wood, so that the true beauty ofthe grain can show. The darkness orintensity of stain is determined notonly by the stain color, but also byhow soon after application it is wipedoff. For a very light tone, wipe offthe stain as soon as it is applied.Leave the stain on longer for deeperpenetration and darker color. Youcan also apply a second coat of stainfor darker, richer color, but wait atleast twelve hours for the first coat todry. When wiping down, use a ragthat has been slightly dampened inthe stain . Remember that most penetrating stains need 24 hours to drybefore applying the finish.
HIGH SPEED GRINDING WITH RIMA JIGWith this jig, the bottom lip holdsthe tool at the same bevel at alltimes. By using a light touch andsliding the jig from side to sideyou will find that the tool will notoverheat. It is not necessary toquench the tool in water.
HIGH SPEED GRINDING FREE·HANDWhen grinding chisels or planeIrons you tend to squeeze hard soas to not lose your position thatmay change the bevel. Now youhave a· tendency to bear hardagainst the wheel, causing thetool to overheat and burn .
NEW IMPROVED MODEL NO. PW3
CHISEL SHARPENING MADE EASYAnyone can do it with this jig - Money back guarantee
IDEAL GRINDING TOOLPerfect Hollow ground bevels on blades to 2112 " wide ,
aluminum cons't. , brass screws, nylon washers and rubberno-sl ip clamp surfaces. Only 41/4 ozs. $10.25 ppd.
Check or Money Order only
RIMA MFG. CO.P.O. Box 99 Quaker Hill, Conn. 06375
wood: applying the stain and wipingoff the residue. Although there aremany different ways with a variety ofequipment to apply stain, most craftsmen stain their projects by hand.Brushes and rags are good tools forhand applications. It is also handy tohave a rag ready for wiping off stainquickly. Since certain parts of thewood may be naturally darker thanothers, you can create a more uniform appearance by wiping the stainfrom these areas soon after it isapplied. For best results in controlling the depth and intensity of color,use a cloth to apply the stain. With acloth you can wipe the stain on carefully, instead of flooding the woodsurface with stain as you would whenusing a brush. Wiping down the sur-
Or Charge your Subscription to :
Subscription rates: 18.00 per year, '14.00 for two years.
Make checks payable to :
Don't miss a single issueHave Pacific Woodworker
delivered to your door!
IName~ddressCityState Zip _
I
PacificWoodworKfr
Box 4881, Santa Rosa , CA 95402
IMasterCard __ or VISA __ (check one)I
Card NumberExpiration date _
ISignature _
(required for charge sales)
IYou don't need anew table saw. Youneed a new saw fence.
Not even a new table saw will give the precision, increased productivity andease of ope ration that you can get with the patented T'Sq uare- Saw FenceSystem on your present saw. Irs the first major change in table saws in40 years.
So. maybe you really don't need a new table saw after all,especially when you can convert your saw into a precisionwooeJ.cutting instrument for much less money.
If you're still not sure, try one. We guarantee the'f-Squere - System will give your shop a newdimension in cutting , or we'll return every centof your money. Even shipping costs . You can 'tlose. Write or call for the name of the dealernearest you. While you're at it, look into our newmeasuri ng and stopping devises for cut-off, radia l-arm ,and motorized miter saws too .
EFFlCIErn'. Saves 50% or more on wasted cutting labor,ACCURATE. A sinqle -action handle locks the fence with aminimum of 1/64th·in, accuracy every time.FAST. Makes accurate set-ups and quick cha nges in seconds,Eli minates guess work, and hand meas uring for good.f1TS ANY TABLE SAW. Installs easily on any new or used
I table saw, Cutting capac ities available to suit your needs up to 98·in. to right. and 4Q.in. to left of blade.PROVEN. Thousands of TSquare" Systems are now on thejob throughout the industry,GUARANTEED. Qu ality constructed to handle commercialapplications . 12month parts and workmanship guarantee. Tryone for 2 weeks. If not satisfied . your money will be refunded.
,October/Novemb er 1982
BACK Issues ofPacific Woodworker
$1.50 each or complete set of eight foronly $8.00, postpaid.
Issue 8: Establishing a Successful WoodworkingBusiness, Made with Wood II Show, AmazonianHardwoods, Rockwell Sander.Issue 7: Interview With Sam Maloof, "how-to"advice from Sam , woodworking in Maui , restaurant woodworking.Issue 6: Fifty Years of Wood Carving, MakingWooden Boxes, Table Saw Guide Part 2, TestReport of Sanding Belt Cleaner.Issue 5: Creation of a chair, Table Saw GuidePart I, Test of Rima Sharpening Jig, woodwork ing for love or money.Issue 4: Profile of sculptor Lucius Upshaw, marketing at crafts fairs, test of the Supportable,interview with a decoy carver.Issue 3: Special issue on dust. Test of Stanleydovetail fixture .Issue 1 and 2: Special package deal, two issues foronly $1.50! Noise and vibration and their prevention, wood par ts and accessories, solar heatedwood dryer, tests of Carter band saw guide andMilwaukee electric chain saw.
MANUFACTURING 'C O R P O R A T IO N
216 South Alma School Road • Suite 3Mesa. Az. 85202. (602) 835·9300
37
And Now, Spike Has PublishedAn All New and Fantastic
"Complete Handbook of Power & Hand Tool Wood Carving"136 Jam-PackedPages 23 Fact·Fllled Chapters
108 Big Photographs 'D illustrations, Pattams & Detailed Plans
23 Chapters, Includ ing:" How to Succeed Financially in Wood Carving ""'How to Write and Publ ish Your Own Wood Carving Book and Make $250,000"" How Retirement Can Be tne Richest Years of a Wood CaNer's Life"" Foo l·Proo f MethOd lor Landing StOO-A·Oay Demonstrat ions "" W hich Power Tool Shou ld You Buy "" Shallow Relief Carving or Engraving "" Deep Aelief Carving · Concave or Convex"" Carving Huge Plaques and Murals""Carving Full Round or 3 Dim&nsionar"" Your High Speed Stee l and Tungsten Carbide cutters & How 10 Use Each""Sma ll Engravi ng Cutte rs'" Aluminum Oxides and Silleon Grinders"" Vises. Speed Contro ls. Sanders. Woodburning Kits & Engravers""The Complete Abrasive and sanding Story ""W hich Adhesives or Glues Are Best "" How to Achieve the Ultimale from Wood Stains & Finishes"
And 7 M()(e Information Filled Chapters !
27 Dltalled Plans and Patterns, Includ ing:" Spike's Own Personal Carving Island "" Our Own Personal Cutler Case layout with Numbers""Our Merit Professional Sanding Island "3-Vlew Palt erns of 5 Different Duck Decoys (Full Size)4-Vlew Patterns of 5" Cowboy 8001a-vt ew Patterns of Griu ly and HippoFloor Plan of Our 4,700 SQ. Ft. Earthen Insulated HomeJMuseurnlVv'ood Carvers ' Supply
And 20 More Instructional Illustrations
This superb, comprehens ive, encyclopadic·type handbook can be ordered bylending $11.45 ($9.95 plus $1.50 United Parcel Serlice charges) to " Spike Boyd,"Spike Boyd's Wood Carlers ' Supply, Route 1, Box 416, Highlandville, Missouri65669.
"This is the Power Carving Manual you have been asking for , and I have put my heart , sou l,and 16 years of wood carving and professional business experience into making this the finestwood carving reference book ever published. 11 contains everything we taugh t in our S200-a-dayprivate course, Dlus about 99% more. You will truly be exhile rated when you view all of the 108large pholographs and read its comprehensive contents." -Spike
It you desire I Iree catalog 01all 01the Dremel tools and accessor ies sold by ourWood Carlerl' Supply, send a 4" x 9" stampad (addresled) envelopa (your postolllce has these) to Spike Boyd at the above address.
Subscribe to .•.As a woodworker you are interested in many
facets of this fascinating and changing field. AndPacific Woodworker is your best way to keep upwith what is happening in wood carving and smallwood production shops. Regular features in PacificWoodworker include:• Spike Boyd on power wood carving.• Bill Farnsworth's The Fourth Corner, an interesting
column on woodwork ing in the Northwestern states.• Interviews with successful wood carvers and wood shop
owners : What are the secrets to success and financialreward?
• Calendar of woodworking events and shows.• New Products announcements and Test Reports.• Marketing for the small wood cra ftsperson: estimating,
closing a sale, adverti sing, and more .• Woods of the World• The Best in Woodworking Tools• Woodworking Exhibit s in the West• Book reviews and much, much more!
Don't Delay! Fill out the coupon on the back ofthis page and mail it off today. You don't want tomiss a single issue of the most exciting publicationin the field of Woodworking: Pacific Woodworker!
P.O. Box 529, Paramount , CA 90723 1
Looking For ThatHard To Find Furniture
Hardware Part?1
EUROPEAN INDUSTRIALHARDWARE WOODWORKING
Page 32 GLUEPage 39
TRIMHARDWAREPages 59-16
The answers elementary : Send for Kemp Hardware's new 1982, 76page, furniture and woodworking hardware catalog. A supplier to
furniture factories for 60 years Kemp Hardware inventories over2300 specialized furniture hardware items, until now only availableto the large furniture manufacturers. In stock : Table slides, furn iture
lights, trim hardware grills, indust rial woodworking glue, European Ihardware, tabl e locks, waterbed hardware and much much more,Send $3.00 for a complete catalog and we'll refund your $3 .00
with the first order.
38 Pacific Woodworker
Rocking Horse Plan
ATTENTION! DADS, GRANDDADS, CRAFTSMENBuild this heirloom gift for your favorite child. Ourhorse is made from pine with a' comfortable paddedseat, flowing mane and tail, and leather bridle. Wssturdily built and measures 25" x 36". Great fun fortots. Popular seller at craft shows. Easy to build withour full size plan. Send for Rocking Horse Plan $5.50Catalog of plans & supplies .....•........ $1.00
ARMOR PRODUCTSP.O.Box 290, Dept. PW Deer Park, NY 11729
INCA·PRECISIONSWISS STATIONARY POWER TOOLS
KILN DRIED S2S t, SELECT U BETTER
, SI35 Bd.Ft. t, (200' or more)
I
r-~a-;;=D-;-'t, Black Oak
t Rich Grain & Figures tDirect From the Sawmill.
t ·Other Grades & Other Indigenous tHardwoods & Burls Available.
t ·Prices Vary With Volume t• 50' Minimum Purchase• California Deliveries Now Available.
, Native California Black Oak is a Subspecies in the t, Red Oak Family.
, Cal Oak Lumber Co. $ tI 1000 Cal Oak Rd., PO. Box 689 t
..-or, Oroville, CA 95965 • (916) 534-1426- ,- Serving Fine Woodworkers Since 1965, I" - I Open Tues -Fri., 9-4 p.m, ,
~~~~~~~~I
The Cutting EdgeWOODCRAFTINGHEADQUARTERS
The Cutting Edge is the complete woodworkingsupply store. Featuring over 3,000 of the finesthand and power tools, hundreds of exotic hardwoods, plus an extensive selection of woodcraftbooks and classes. At The Cutting Edge you willfind the finest power tools from around the world,names like Inca, Hegner, Makita and Henniker
I plus the most popular woodworking magazines.
INCA POWER TOOLS • SUPERB CARVINGTOOLS • EXOTIC HARDWOODS
• WOODCRAFT BOOKS & CLASSES
ILCH€ CUCC:-ING €6C€®
1836 Fourth Street (3 blk. N.E. of University & 1-80)Berkeley , CA 94710
Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 415/548-6011
CALL FOR FREE NEWSLETTER & SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
I
IOctober/November 1982
Don't just buy a woodworking machine,buy what a machine can really do.
NEW .THREEWHEEL
BANDSAWt o r w o od .pla st ics;
3·sp eed ~~~~~,~~~~Throat , 20 " CCu tt ing Heigh t. , ,S'
With 2" exlent ion kit10" Heigh t.
HP 1 5
Industrial quality INCA Saws, Jointers,Planers, and Shapers all designed forprecision production and priced for theperfectionist craftsmen, cabinetmakers andhobbyists.
For FREE INCA catalog send thisad and your name and address to:
ANSON INDUSTRIES INC.,4115 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, CA 91204
texclusive Western distributorsfor a/l states West of the Mississippi River.I
Dealer inquiries invited
39
Power Hand Tool Wood·Carving
by Spike Boyd
Lesson 7
In our first six lessons we may haveled you to believe that Dremel has amonopoly on power wood carvingtools. However, there are a number ofother products that I also use and recommend for power carving.
Merit Sand-O-Flex Model 350-RMerit's deluxe Sand-O-Flex flexible
sanding wheel has a metal wheel ordrum with eight flexible abrasive stripsand backing brushes. I have not usedsandpaper for 12 years, since it isprone to leave hundreds of deep
scratches in a carving. The Sand-OFlex is designed expressly for use onrounded and intricately carved surfaces. Its brushes force scored fingers ofindustrial-grade abrasive cloth overand around contours, and into surfaces and small openings where otherabrasives or even fingers can't reach.
This cushioned abrasive action willnot harm intricate details , yet it removes all those splinters and trash,leaving a satin-smooth finish. This
40
tool distributes the abrasive pressureevenly over the work surface, so that abeginner can achieve fine finishes aseasily as an experienced professional.It is NOT one of those dangerous wirestrippers which can throw a wire rightinto your eye or throat!
When the Sand-O-Flex abrasivestrips get less than 112" beyond thebacking brushes, simply dial out freshabrasive, snip off the edge, and it is asgood as new. Refills are available; useeither "scored" or "plain" refills infine 180 grit or medium 120 grit. Because the Sand-O-Flex is a finishingtool, avoid using a coarse refill.Slashed or scored refills are slit 1/8"wide and act as tiny fingers on irregular shapes and curves. The plain refillsare more aggressive on flat surfaces,mild contours, or for paint stripping.
The Sand-O-Flex has a 6" overalldiameter, with a 33/4" diameter metalbody and 15/16" wide abrasive strips.It also features a 518" arbor hole with
. . /'an extra adapter for operating In a 114", 3/8" or 1/2" drill chuck. My specialty is carving 6- and 8-foot muralsof Southwest art motifs, and I cancompletely finish-sand these huge murals in 10 minutes using a scored, medium refill, without a single sandinkscratch on the entire piece. I receivb
I
more accolades about my velvety-pol-ished finish on my walnut carvingsthan you can imagine. For instance, incarving my 36" black walnut Federalist Eagle I used the Sand-O-Fle ,buffed with a muslin buffing wheelfaced with 180 grit compound, andthen waxed and buffed again.
Merit's Grind-O-Flex IAnother sanding aid is Merit js
Grind-o-Flex. This is a flexible abrasive wheel designed to give you tho J sands of abrasive cloth flaps per miI~ute and it is ideal for sandingcontoured shapes. The coated abrasi veflaps are secured to a hub and come infine 180 grit, medium 20 grit and
IPacific Woodwork~r
"Charlie sure carves realistic animals!"
turning 28,000 RPM in my Moto-Flex232. The fine sleeve is number 432and the coarse one is number 408.
Merit Safety Face ShieldFor safety's sake , always use a face
shield. This one has a handy flip-upfront shield and comfortably paddedhead band. It will completely protect,your eyes and face while reducing dustinhalation. The shield is lightweightand adjustable, with cushioned sweatbands and ample room for glasses .This is an industrial-grade, not a retailstore item. At $8 it is one of the greatest bargains you'll find.
People sometimes ask me why I useall power in my sanding. My response
. is, for the same reason that you and Iuse power in so many things in ourhomes. And frankly, to be successfulin any business , you must produce aproduct expeditiously and receive a de-
Continued
41
the Merit disc, you had better have itplaced perfectly true to your metal discbecause when those two surfaces meet,it's gangbusters! Only a putty knifewill ever get them apart again. Now Isimply but firmly draw my carvingacross the edge at a 45 degree angleand the coarse 36 grit does the rest.The disc comes with a standard 1/2"bore and will fit any standard furnacetype appliance motor or 1/4 or 1/3HPmotor.
Dremel Model 407 1/2" SandingDrum
This little workhorse is the greatestthing since the invention of the powerbread slicer. It comes with either fineor coarse sleeves and is unmatched foredge sanding or rounding off fullround carvings or woodworking projects. I also use it to put a razor edgeon my knives or chisels with a fine gritindustrial sleeve on the drum which is
IThe Merit Accessories: Sand-OsFlex, Grind-q.Flex and Safety Face Shield.
J arse 80 grit, for use in sanding, polishing and grinding your work. Thet061's sanding action is easily con-
Itrolled by the amount of pressure youex~rt against the workpiece. With amWe MA-56 adapter it can be insertedin!o a portable hand drill for sanding
I I
large, flat surfaces. The faster the,RPM, the better it sands. However,d In' t exceed 5000 RPM with either theSand-O-Flex or the Grind-O-Flex.
he Grind-O-Flex has no match insanding woodwork, wood sculpture,or any type of metalcraft. (It's unexceled for rust or paint removal, too.)Use a female FM-56 adapter to attachydur Grind-O-Flex to a 1/6, 1/4 or 1/3 flP motor (see the illustration of myS nding Island on page 31 of theJune/July issue of Pacific Woodworker) Use the fine Grind-O-Flex to put achrome-like razor edge on yourkilives, gouges and chisels.
iClesco 6" Aluminum Sanding DiscIThe greatest bulk or excess wood re
mover in my studio ·is the Clesco 6"alhminum sanding disc with a peel-off
IMerit facing or sanding disc. This alu-minum disc is a commercial/industrialdduble set screw unit which is superbfo~ removing bulk wood as if it wereb~sa. Nothing upsets me more than ap~el-off disc that flies into space duetol faulty or poor adhesive backing. Ii assure you that wheu you peel off
1 ct ob er /Novem b er 1982
I
Power Hand Tool Carving News and Notes
Continued Continuedfrom page 30
·c· CLAM.P
Cherry Tree Toys Moves
Ban Chain Saws?
Fair Price Tool Catalog
Cherry Tree Toys has moved. TheirI
new address is simply Belmont, OH43718. (Must be a pretty small town.) ITheir retail and wholesale toymakingcatalog is $1.00. Say you read about itl
in Pacific Woodworker. I
The new Fair Price Tool catalog isout. It features common and hard-tofind tools, including a wide variety ofclamps , bench screws, wood planes,scrapers, chisels, gouges and more.$1.00, refundable with the first order,from Fair Price Tool Company, P.O.Box 627-PWA, La Canada, CA 91011
The Consumer Product SafetCommission has announced its Prioriity projects for 1983. Chain saws headthe list, but the CPSC is still pushing'for voluntary standards. And formal I.dehyde in plywood and particle boardis also under Commission review.1Send your comments to CPSC, Washington, DC 20207.
cent price for it. I can turn out a fullsized black walnut, highly polishedmallard duck in 4 hours by using theClesco disc, the Grind-a-Flex, Sand-oFlex and finally the Dremel Moto-Flex232 or 332. I believe in making onlysimple wing details in my walnut decoys and not cutting in thousands ofsimulated feathers and flutes . Whenbeautiful wood grain is already provided, why obliterate it with all thechips and cuts? Finish and buff it andthereby enhance nature 's fabulousimagination and beauty.
So there you have it. If wood carving is your business, then power sanding can elevate your work to a professional level and at the same timeprovide a net profit. The dollars perhour pay your creditors , not whichtools you choose.
More and more shows are removingrestrictions against power carverswho in many cases are disabled orhandicapped people who may be physically unable to use hand tools or mallet. I have always believed in compatibility among all wood carversregardless of tools or techniques, and Ifeel the field of carving is evolving inthis direction. I think that wood carving is slowly but surely moving towardthe greatest art and craft renaissancein U.S . history, and power carving hasalready exploded worldwide.
More complete infor mation onthese sanding aids can be found inChapter 12 of my The CompleteHandbook of Power and Hand ToolWood Carving. See my advertisementin this issue of Pacific Woodworker.For a complete price list of the toolsand accessories mentioned here, and abonus template for setting up yourown Dremel cutting case, send a 4"x9"self-addressed, stamped envelope toSpike Boyd, Route 1, Box 416,Highlandville, MO 65669.
Cuts 30% more lumber from up to 30" Dia, x16V2 ' logs. Safe bandsaw carriage for smoothermore accurate lumber. Ready to operate.
Wood Carving DuplicatorAccurate , simple ,
1 to 1 wood duplicator3 models available,
easy to operate.
THISSPACE
FORRENT
ContactPacific Woodworker
Advertising DepartmentBox 4881
Santa Rosa, CA 95402(707) 525-8494
One Man ~p~~ableSawmill
~ ~.•~~...~ .~ ....
Bandsaw ~Large 24.5" throat, 9" verticalcut tilt table, wood and metalcutting, rugged construction,affordable .
Save - Buy Direct
r-----------::-lI
Dupll-Carver (317) 243·7565 I4004 West 10th St., Dept. 1106
I Indianapolis, IN 46222 Io Enclosed Is $1.00 lor 32 page catalog II and Information on 3O-DayFree Trial
I Name II Address IL~ ~t~_~p__ ...J
42 Pacific Woodworkeri
I (tASSIFIED MARKET~
JIG BOOK FOR WOODWORKERS
-~Makinlt and Usinlt
Sintple JiltS
MAKE WOODEN TOYS - Plans Hardwood Wheels, Parts, DowelsCatalog S1.00. Cherry Tree Toys,Belmont, Ohio 43718.
HUNDREDS OfTiTlES 1IVllIabIe.world8 IargMtMIectIon-.d tor I_lat,BARK ServIceCo.PO.Boll 637TroutnW\.NC.28168
W dworldBooks
Harpsichords you can build yourself . Catalog of parts, plans S2.00.Brochure of Hammered Dulcimers and parts S1.00. InstrumentWorkshop, 318-P N36th, Seattle,WA98103.
WOODEN "RIDE-EM" TOYTRUCKS. Unique, nostalgic, funto make. Catalog of patterns S1.00(refundable). Rustic Creation Toys,Vineyard Drive, Templeton, CA93465.
The book for serious woodworkers. Sh owshow to duplicate parts & increase productio n.Over 80 j i gs descr ibed & i ll ust r at ed. Send f o r"Making & Using Simple Jigs" $4.25
Plans Catalog $1.00
ARMOR PRODUCTSBox 2 9 0
Deer Par k, NY 1 1729
BULLERI heavy duty pin router,1.5 hp, 15,000 rpm, turret depthstop, tilting head, S975.00. Philippine ebony, round, squared logs,6-7' long, S5.00/lb. 2091897-2757.WATER TUPELO
A fine wood for carvers and turners. World champions like TanBrunet use Water Tupelo for theirwinning carvings. Turners like thealmost grain free white wood. Turners should ask for the HARD TOFIND. Tell us what you are carvingor turning and we will send you thekind of wood you need. SendSI0.00 for a UPS prepaid samplemeasuring 4x6x12. KENT COURTNEY'S WOODSHED, P.O. Box626, Broussard, Louisiana 70518.
WOODWORKING TOOLSHigh quality, fair prices. BandClamp, S8.90; Hold Down Clamp,S7.70; Black Hard Arkansas Sharpening Stone, S27 .40; and muchmore. New illustrated catalog,S1.00 (refundable with order).FAIR PRICE TOOL COMPANY,Box 627-PCI, 1860 Foothill, LaCanada, California 91011.
ASHLEY-ILES woodcarving tools.Hermen miniature sets, Warrentools, hot tool woodburners, Buckpocket knives - whittle knives.The famous Kangaroo Pouch whittier's apron and much more. Catalog, S1.00. _
ALLEN SCHAFFERThings for Woodcarvers
11793 La Bella Ave.Sunnyvale, CA 94087
OAK TABLE AND CHAIR KITS- ,PARTS - We stock all sizes.T~ble slides, locks, pins , levelers,bettt rims, claw foot carved blanks,
Iclaw foot table & pressed backch~ir kits. For free brochure, sendself addressed stamped envelopewith inquiry to: The original Oak
IFactory, 2904 A St. SE, Auburn,W~shington 98002.
IAUSTRALIAN TIMBER . Smallqtiantities. Huon Pine - extremelyrare, durable, very fine, pale working lumber. Celery Top Pine very rare, durable, pale. Blackwood - Tasmanian, red to brown,h~rdwood. The above used & admired by American, Canadian& IEnglish resident craftsmen inAustralia. Alan Wilson c/o (415)465-5637. Consider sale or tradefor timber to ship home.
II
MitRTLEWOOD LUMBER ANDCRAFT WOOD - Large accumulation of dry colorful Myrtlewood.H~ve sought out fine and fancymhterial - no junk or plain. Greatv~rietyof boards, blocks and superscrap suitable for carver/turnerlbdx 1music inst. 1clock 1 gunstockf
Iwoodenware/and other HOLZS-NITZER PROJEKTE Avg. atS2.00 per bd. ft. as per grade.
RICHARD ALBRECHTBox 936
Gold Beach, OR 97444(503) 247-2749 (evenings OK)
Classified Market Information: Rate: 25 cents per word, minimum of 25 words. Payment must accompany all classified ads. Border, S3.00. Deadline for ads for Issue 10 is Nov. 1, 1982. Pacific Woodworker, Box 4881, Santa Rosa,Cft.95402 (707) 525-8494.
I
IMurphy's Laws of Woodworking:I
The band saw blade breaks only on Sunday morning, when the piece ispromised/or Monday morning.
October/November 1982 43
In the next issue...rT"
Guide to Router SelectionWoods of the WorldWood FinishingWoodworking StoresMore Woodworking Shows in Mendocinoand much more...
25% MORE PACESI
Don't miss Issue 10 ofPacific Woodworker.
Subscribe today!(See page 31)
V:l'VSOl:l VINVS£1'9 'ON llW1:I3d
OIVd39V1SOd 'sn
31Vl:I xtns
lOtS6 V:J 'BSOH BlUBS
1SSt xog ·0·d.ItJ'I.lOMP OOAi :J!f!:JvJ
-parsanbai u0!l;)aJJO;) ssaippv