Marc Spagnuolo's Blog, page 16

So I Changed My Mind! | Woodworking Tips!

If you do woodworking long enough, you’ll undoubtedly change your mind about a few things. I think it’s a good sign as it shows you’re open-minded and willing to take in new information. Never stop learning.

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You Janka My Chain! – TWW Live

Show notes coming soon.

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2021 Guild Scholarship Recipients

We are extremely grateful to everyone that applied. There were so many worthy applicants (we had over 100 to review), that it really was a difficult process to narrow it down to just 12 woodworkers. Thankfully we have a very generous group of Guild members and they were able to donate enough for 22 more scholarships! If you didn’t receive a scholarship this time, please do not get discouraged. We will be opening the Scholarships back up in June/July of 2022 and would love to see you apply again. If you feel you need guidance on the application next time, please read some of the tips on the Scholarship page before submitting your next application.

So without further ado here are the 34 recipients of The Wood Whisperer Guild. Congratulations to all of them!

Marc and I wish you continued success in your woodworking journey! Best, Nicole

3 Student Scholarships
Aidan Barker
Sean Staniforth
Joel Louwerse

3 Adult Scholarships
Keith Kingsbury
Brent Strange
Rebecca Janis

3 Vet/Military Scholarships
Samantha Ohlsen
Justin Smith
Everett Hansen

3 1st Responder Scholarships
Casey Simmons
Joe Walsh
Matthew Garland

22 Guild Member Funded Scholarships – These winners were selected by a committee of current Guild members

Jack Skinkle
Samuel Colchamiro
Drayton Garbade
Caleb Fortwangler
Joe Lerner
Troy Schulte
Alejandro Vidal
Andrea Padgett
Jennifer Greenman
Jayce Terry
Gary Kazee
Guillermo Contreras
Jeremy Hintz
Matthew Foster
Ryan Werner
Howard Smith
Jonathan Robbins
Paul LeBarton
Stephen Tatar
John R. Dolan II
Matt Humphries
Joseph Quimby

Thank you again to the individual donors that help provide additional scholarships this year: Kevin Brodbeck, Kurt Allen, Scott Morris, Teresa Ozoa, Joe Romanowski, Peter Perrello, Todd Clippinger, Andy Chidwick, Joseph Lapolito, Gregg Cromeans, Terry Bollenbaugh, Charles Kilpatrick, Richard Moore, Alan Lillich, Don Trust, Scott Reichinger, John Hankins, Gregg Cromeans, Spencer Adams, and Anonymous.  To add your name (you can also donate anonymously) head over to the Guild  :)

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Things NOT To Do With Routers

You would be hard-pressed to find a tool that’s more versatile than a router. And it’s that versatility that requires us to understand exactly how the router (and bits) work in order to keep things safe. The setup and accessories can change so often that you can quickly find yourself doing something unfamiliar and potentially dangerous. So here is a short list of things not to do with routers:

Don’t Go the Wrong Way – It’s important to understand the direction the router should travel with respect to the work.Don’t Disregard Speed – Make sure you run the router at the speed that’s appropriate for the bit and learn to control the speed of your hands as you move across the work.Don’t Forget Your Support Pin – Router table lifts usually come with a support pin that can go a long way in supporting workpieces on bearing-guided operations.Don’t Bottom Out Your Bits – Don’t push your bits all the way to the bottom of the collect.Don’t Over-tighten Your Collet – Most good quality collect should not need to be muscled into submission just to grip a bit.Don’t Take Too Deep of a Cut – Taking off too much material at once will cause excessive chatter and put a lot of stress on the bit.Don’t Route Narrow Edges – Routers are big and top-heavy, so don’t try to use them on narrow edges without additional support.Don’t Ignore the Sounds – Being able to hear the sounds your router makes during a cut can tell you a lot about what’s happening.

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End Grain Glue Myths | You May Have Misunderstood

Recently, Patrick Sullivan released a video on End Grain Glue Myths and within a few days my inbox was swarmed with people asking for my opinion. I normally don’t provide public commentary on other peoples’ content but after having numerous conversations about the results of Patrick’s test and reading countless comments from people expressing that they no longer need to worry about interlocking wood joinery, I felt compelled to express my opinion. Let me be clear in that I do not disagree with anything in Patrick’s video. He did an excellent job and I can’t wait to see his future tests. I found his approach refreshingly scientific and I found his explanations enlightening.

The 2009 joint test article I referenced is from Fine Woodworking #203.

My hope is that this explanation prevents folks from assuming they can now assemble all of their furniture with glued butt joints only.

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Can’t See the Line? | Marking on Dark Wood

Making visible lines on dark woods can certainly be a challenge. If you have good lighting and good eyes, you might be able to get away with your favorite standard pencils. But most people would benefit from a marking line that can be seen more clearly. Over the years I’ve tried a bunch of products and in this video I show you some of the pencils in my collection so you can see how they work and decide which one might be most appropriate for your work.

Art-N-Fly White Ink PenSteadtler PencilSteadtler Colored LeadRevMark White MarkerBohin Extra Fine Chalk PencilPentel Red 0.7mm Lead RefillSewline White 0.9mm RefillPica Pencil SetGeneral White Charcoal PencilGeneral Scribe-All SetGraphgear 1000 Mechanical Pencils

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Just Let the Trolls Flow

Show notes coming soon.

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Cheap Effective Chisel Sharpening | Scary Sharp!

Sharpening can be daunting because of the number of methods, materials, and gadgets available that will get the job done. And sharpening is one of those things that you can put as much time and money into it as you want if you’re not afraid of diminishing returns. I made this video to show you that you don’t HAVE to go nuts with a sharpening setup. With a piece of glass, two grits of wet-dry paper, and a honing guide (optional), you can get a perfectly serviceable chisel.

Rockler sells a simple kit to get you’re started if you think the sandpaper method is right for you: Get Your Scary Sharp Kit Here

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I Made My Own Plantation Shutters | Saved a BUNCH of $$$

In our master bedroom, we have a very large eyebrow window above a sliding glass door. It’s absolutely beautiful but it also lets in a ton of light at sunrise. While I personally enjoy a face full of sunshine as a wakeup call, Nicole needs more sleep than I do. We already put a dark film on the windows to help tone down the light but the effect was pretty minimal. So I decided to make my own plantation shutters. Having purchased shutters in the past, I know that this custom work would probably have cost me well into the thousands of dollars. After a little Googling, I discovered that Rockler not only has a helpful Wizard to help you design your shutters, but also a bunch of jigs and supplies you’d need to make them. Although I had to make some custom changes to accommodate a curved top, Rockler’s plan and supplies made this project fairly simple. That’s why I approached them to sponsor this episode. Big thanks to Rockler for not only sponsoring the show but also having the resources I needed to get the job done.

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I’m a Justifiable Tool | TWWLive

00:00:40 – Welcome to TWW Live!
00:01:10 – Thank you to our Patreon and YouTube members!
00:02:12 – Guild project sale! 40% off single project. Code: BOWTIE
00:03:15 – Powermatic 100 year anniversary table giveaway

Giveaway

00:04:13 – Guild scholarship announcement
00:04:50 – Mail time!
00:06:03 – Can I stabilize a walnut board that I am cutting into veneer?
00:06:52 – Have you thought about making a bow after making the trebuchet?
00:07:33 – New video released today!
00:08:27 – What are the most reasonable sized planer and jointer?
00:11:40 – Are there special finishes you use for veneer?
00:13:02 – What are some of your thoughts during the design process?
00:16:10 – Can you use melamine for a torsion box?
00:16:45 – Any thoughts on the Lamello Zeta P2?
00:20:58 – Are you still selling the headphone controller racks?
00:21:18 – How can I clean my table saw blade?
00:22:09 – How much should I sand after the first coat of finish?
00:23:20 – Does an epoxy floor in your shop make things easier?
00:25:17 – When should you reinforce the back of a panel?
00:29:15 – Would you ever consider a door for a guild project?
00:30:37 – Is there a significant difference between baltic birch ply and furniture grade birch?
00:32:40 – What resources would you recommend for learning about different styles of furniture?
00:36:05 – Do you ever use combination finishes?
00:36:58 – What are your thoughts on planer/jointer combos?
00:38:55 – What led you to choose the T1-11 boards on the wall?
00:40:03 – Do you have to be concerned about cherry blotching with hard was oils?
00:41:51 – Have you ever used Minwax polyshades?
00:42:53 – How did it feel diving into woodworking while still doing a different job?
00:45:00 – Do your glasses get scratched?
00:45:55 – Would you recommend a spiral upcut bit when routing a mortise?
00:47:23 – Have you ever had to re-flatten your bench since originally building it?
00:49:00 – Handcut or router cut dovetails?
00:49:18 – What’s a good alternative for baltic birch for shop furniture?

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