Marc Spagnuolo's Blog, page 60
October 3, 2016
Win a 22″ Scroll Saw from JET
It’s October and you know what that means! Another amazing tool to giveaway to our audience! This month we are giving away a 22″ Scroll Saw from JET! You can see the scroll saw in action below and support this generous company! Click here for a consolidated list of all the past winners and prizes.
Say hello to the new JET 22″ scroll saw. Combining best-in-class features with innovation and thoughtful design to create the machine you’ve been waiting for. The best part about this saw is the blade change process. Our exclusive upper mechanism clamps and tensions the blade in one step. In addition to the upper mechanism, the tool less lower blade holder is removable and the table features a slot for the blade. The features don’t stop there: this saw offers twenty-two inches of throat capacity and an arm that tilts forty degrees left and forty five degrees right. This saw is designed to optimize your scrolling experience. From the VARIABLE speed range to a top lift, spring loaded arm it comes fully loaded with all the features you’d expect.
See a demo of the JET 22-Inch Scroll Saw!
Use the widget below to enter the giveaway. If you take advantage of every option, you’ll get as many as 8 entries! If you don’t see the widget below, you can also try the mobile version that lives on Facebook. If you are on a desktop computer and don’t see the widget, try the following: clear your cache, turn off pop-up blockers, turn off ad-blocking plugins, and/or try a different browser.
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September 30, 2016
Friday Live – 9/30/16
The post Friday Live – 9/30/16 appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
September 29, 2016
271 – Castle Bookcase
The Castle Bookcase is not only great for storage but also serves as a creative play center for kids of all ages. It features four shelves, a functional drawbridge, battlements, and windows. The entire thing is made from two sheets of plywood and is constructed using glue and screws. For additional strength you can cut dados for the shelves as demonstrated in the video.
Perhaps the best part of this project is the fact that it’s our 2016 Woodworkers Fighting Cancer build. That means if you build a version of the Castle Bookcase and send us a picture by November 30th 2016, we’ll donate $1 to the charity on your behalf. All proceeds go to the Jessie Rees Foundation.
And be sure to check out the Woodworkers Fighting Cancer page for more information about the history of the event, upcoming auctions, fundraising progress, as well as other ways you can help out.
The Plans
SketchUp Plan (Imperial)
SketchUp Plan (Metric)
PDF Plan/Cut List (Imperial)
PDF Plan/Cut List (Metric)
Stuff You’ll Need
Here are some links to thinks you’ll see me use in the video. Some products are not exact because I couldn’t find a perfect match online, but they are all close enough.
Undersized Plywood Bits – Even though this project only uses one bit, I think it’s good to own all three. They can’t be a real time saver assuming the cut they make matches the plywood you have on hand. Keep in mind, not all plywood is created equal and some may not fit be a perfect match.
Rabbet Bit Set – Rabbeting bits are great but you really need one that takes multiple bearings for it to be fully functional.
Clamping Tool Guide – I find these to be incredibly useful on all kinds of projects. Whether you’re using the router, the circular saw, or even the jig saw, being able to clamp directly to the workpiece is a huge benefit.
Axel Pins – I picked these up at the local craft store so you might be better off sourcing them locally as well. To serve the purpose, the pin needs to have a head on it that’s wider than the shaft. I’ll pause while a select few of you giggle. OK let’s proceed.
Spool – This was also something I picked up from the local craft store. Keep in mind that the wench system I devised did not work as well as I had hoped. To improve on it, I recommend using something of a wider diameter on the user end of the connection. Perhaps a large wooden wheel would do the trick.
Countersink Bit – These are indispensable if you ever plan to use screws in your work. As you can see on this project, they not only pre-drill but they also create a countersink for the screw head.
Cotton Braiding Cord – While any string will do, I found this cord to be lightweight yet durable enough for the job.
Sponsors
Powermatic, Bell Forest Products, Very Super Cool Tools, Fuji Spray, Eagle America, MLCS, MicroJig, QALO Rings, Rockler, and The Wood Whisperer Guild.
Support WFC
Donate Directly
Submit Your Bookcase Photo
Participate In Our Auctions
Purchase a WFC T-Shirt, Mug, or Challenge Coin (new for 2016)
Gallery
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Mike’s Cherry Trestle Table
First time designing a project from the ground up with no plans, just a hybrid design from numerous different table styles that I found online/in stores.
Legs are 4/4 stock with beveled edges to appear as solid stock. Top is 6/4 stock with breadboard ends. Trestle is attached with pocket holes and the caps at the end give the appearance that the trestle goes all the way through the legs.
I have to thank Marc for all the inspiration he provides in his videos and website. If anyone asked me a year ago if I could make this table, I would have laughed at them. A lot of that improvement I have to attribute to Marc and the TWW website, so again thank you, Marc and please keep the info coming!
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September 25, 2016
Last Day to Get the Roubo Project 40% OFF!
Don’t miss it! Today is the last day you have a shot at getting the Split-Top Roubo Workbench project for 40% OFF in the Guild.
The post Last Day to Get the Roubo Project 40% OFF! appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
September 24, 2016
Why Are You Moving?
For the last few months I’ve been dropping hints about an impending move to Colorado. Recently the hints have become overt statements and if all goes well, we’ll officially be in Colorado before Thanksgiving. Because I seem to get the same questions via email daily and during my Friday Live sessions, I thought I’d write up some answers here on the site to avoid repeating myself and to prevent speculation.
Why are you moving?
To put it succinctly, kids change everything! Nicole and I never really LOVED living in Arizona. It was a means to an end, the “end” being running a successful business in an area with a reasonable cost of living. When you work all day and play video games all night, being stuck inside in the air conditioning for eight months out of the year isn’t that bad. But ever since my son arrived in 2011, priorities have shifted and our biggest challenge is finding indoor activities that allow the kid to burn off his seemingly endless supply of energy (otherwise he chews the furniture). Those indoor activities usually cost money which gets old quickly, considering all we really need is an afternoon at the park. And now that we have two little ones, things are going to get worse before they get better. So now that we have kids, we crave the same 4-season climate we grew up with.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is beautiful and has plenty of outdoor activities. The weather profile is what we’re looking for and many of the cities have exceptional school systems. And aside from that it comes down to our collective gut. There’s just something about Colorado that appeals to us and it’s where we feel we belong. It doesn’t hurt that we have some friends in the area too.
What about your shop?
The Dream Shop was fun to build and work in. It was a really cool experience. But in the same way I like to say Home is wherever my wife and kids are, my Shop is wherever my tools are. Doesn’t matter if it’s an 1800 sq. ft standalone building or 1-car garage. Woodworkers always figure out a way to make things work. So I’m not emotional about it at all and truly look forward to a future garage conversion. The house we are hoping to buy (we are currently under contract) features a 4-car garage at about 1050 sq ft. That’s not too shabby! But it will require a little downsizing, a little creativity, and a little extra work to get the shop up and running in that space. If I am ever feeling nostalgic about the old shop, I can always watch the Dream Shop build video.
How will this affect TWW and the Guild?
It won’t affect the Guild at all. I’m going to finish the Grandfather Clock project before I lose the shop and my new shop will be up and running before the next Guild project begins. The free site might see a slight decrease in content since that’s what I usually focus on between Guild projects. But I do plan on documenting the garage conversion so who knows, maybe I’ll have more content than I expect.
Did the shop affect the house sale?
When you have a big shop on your property, it can be a blessing and a curse. It’s not livable space, so you can’t add it to your square footage and that means it doesn’t do much to raise the overall value of the property. And if someone doesn’t have a use for the shop, it might be a deterrent. On the flip side, if someone does need a shop space, it could give the house a competitive advantage. So it really just depends on who’s looking at your house and what they want. But there’s really no way I’ll recuperate my investment in the shop. Good thing I’m sleeping on a bed of Honda money (that’s a joke).
Oh and if all of this moving talk sounds familiar or perhaps you’re hoping I’ll document the move, you might want to check out these videos:
The post Why Are You Moving? appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
Why We’re Moving
For the last few months I’ve been dropping hints about an impending move to Colorado. Recently the hints have become overt statements and if all goes well, we’ll officially be in Colorado before Thanksgiving. Because I seem to get the same questions via email daily and during my Friday Live sessions, I thought I’d write up some answers here on the site to avoid repeating myself and to prevent speculation.
Why are you moving?
To put it succinctly, kids change everything! Nicole and I never really LOVED living in Arizona. It was a means to an end, the “end” being running a successful business in an area with a reasonable cost of living. When you work all day and play video games all night, being stuck inside in the air conditioning for eight months out of the year isn’t that bad. But ever since my son arrived in 2011, priorities have shifted and our biggest challenge is finding indoor activities that allow the kid to burn off his seemingly endless supply of energy (otherwise he chews the furniture). Those indoor activities usually cost money which gets old quickly, considering all we really need is an afternoon at the park. And now that we have two little ones, things are going to get worse before they get better. So now that we have kids, we crave the same 4-season climate we grew up with.
Why Colorado?
Colorado is beautiful and has plenty of outdoor activities. The weather profile is what we’re looking for and many of the cities have exceptional school systems. And aside from that it comes down to our collective gut. There’s just something about Colorado that appeals to us and it’s where we feel we belong. It doesn’t hurt that we have some friends in the area too.
What about your shop?
The Dream Shop was fun to build and work in. It was a really cool experience. But in the same way I like to say Home is wherever my wife and kids are, my Shop is wherever my tools are. Doesn’t matter if it’s an 1800 sq. ft standalone building or 1-car garage. Woodworkers always figure out a way to make things work. So I’m not emotional about it at all and truly look forward to a future garage conversion. The house we are hoping to buy (we are currently under contract) features a 4-car garage at about 1050 sq ft. That’s not too shabby! But it will require a little downsizing, a little creativity, and a little extra work to get the shop up and running in that space. If I am ever feeling nostalgic about the old shop, I can always watch the Dream Shop build video.
How will this affect TWW and the Guild?
It won’t affect the Guild at all. I’m going to finish the Grandfather Clock project before I lose the shop and my new shop will be up and running before the next Guild project begins. The free site might see a slight decrease in content since that’s what I usually focus on between Guild projects. But I do plan on documenting the garage conversion so who knows, maybe I’ll have more content than I expect.
Did the shop affect the house sale?
When you have a big shop on your property, it can be a blessing and a curse. It’s not livable space, so you can’t add it to your square footage and that means it doesn’t do much to raise the overall value of the property. And if someone doesn’t have a use for the shop, it might be a deterrent. On the flip side, if someone does need a shop space, it could give the house a competitive advantage. So it really just depends on who’s looking at your house and what they want. But there’s really no way I’ll recuperate my investment in the shop. Good thing I’m sleeping on a bed of Honda money (that’s a joke).
Oh and if all of this moving talk sounds familiar or perhaps you’re hoping I’ll document the move, you might want to check out these videos:
The post Why We’re Moving appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
September 23, 2016
270 – Powermatic PM-TJ Tenoning Jig
There’s no shortage of methods for making mortise and tenon joints. Many of them rely on the tablesaw but the results are not always perfect. The classic table saw tenoning jig improves on this by holding the workpiece vertically allowing the cheek cuts to become “rip” cuts resulting in a nice smooth repeatable cut. Tenoning jigs haven’t changed in decades and most of them look like they came out of the exact same factory. While they are serviceable, there certainly was room for improvement. No one bothered until now. Enter the Powermatic PM-TJ Tenoning Jig. It’s lighter, it’s more accurate, it’s easier to adjust, and it just looks cool!
Setup & Performance
After unboxing, I went through the calibration process outlined in the manual. This only takes a few minutes and once you do a test cut, you have an opportunity to use the micro-adjustment dial to fine-tune the jig. I assumed that from that point on I’d likely have to use the micro-adjustment dial to fine tune all future cuts, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t true. Once calibrated, the jig seemed to work flawlessly no matter the size of the tenon or the size of the workpiece. As long as you’re consistent about the amount of pressure you apply to your stop blocks when doing the setup, you will likely never need the micro-adjust. I thought this was pretty remarkable and that’s why I chose the two tenon setup as part of this demonstration.
Should You Buy One?
Obviously this is a difficult question for me to answer because it depends on your personal situation. But if you make a lot of classic mortise and tenon joints where the mortises are cut with either a router or a hollow chisel mortiser, this is a jig you should probably consider. Just note that if you do angled tenons, you might have to build an add-on that screws to the face plate. While the jig does allow angled cuts from front to back, it does not pivot from side to side. The older tenoning jigs DO adjust in both directions. In all the years I’ve owned a tenoning jig I can only think of one occasion where I needed the side to side angle feature but depending on the work you do, this might be a consideration.
All told, this jig does one job and it does it remarkably well. It’s a significant improvement over the “hunt and peck” style setup of the older jigs and produces perfect results without ever having to measure or draw layout lines. If you’re in the market, check it out!
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Friday Live – WIA Recap, 10th Anniversary, & Guild Sale
1:20 – Welcome to the world Breyley!
1:50 – WIA Recap
7:12 – 10th Anniversary
Pre-order your t-shirt by Oct. 2nd – http://www.twwstore.com/product/pre-o…
8:40 – BIG GUILD SALE!!!
The Roubo is 40% off all weekend! https://thewoodwhispererguild.com/pro…
10:26 – My new Narex Chisel Set from Taylor Toolworks.
14:45 – WFC Charity Build
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September 22, 2016
Ken’s Hickory Headboard
I had to kill a piano that came with my house. The piano was old and damaged and stuck in the basement. In dismantling it, I was taken by the big chunky supports made from hickory. So, needing a new headboard, I took some lead from Marc’s bed frame build and bought some more hickory and walnut. I finally found the time to shape it all and join it with dowels and routed the walnut panels into the frame!
In tribute to the origins of the uprights, I left plugged holes visible (well only visible if you get up close to the side!)
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