Tireless. Relentless. Enduring all obsticles to bring you… 15 awesome woodworking blog posts! You won’t believe your eyes this week ladies and gentle men. What we have here is nothing short of jaw droppingly spectacular. From the tape measure ninja being a pest on the jobsite to the crazies who get tools tattooed forever, this Woodworking Roundup will keep you entertained for at least three minutes!
Our roundup motto is: “We waste a lot of time so you can waste less of yours… on the VERY BEST.”
1) Video: Tape Measure Ninja
Awesome. More awesome. STILL MORE AWESOME THAN BEFORE. See… words defy me when I try to describe this guy’s incredible talents with a tape measure. You just have to go watch the video.
2) Tool Tattoos: True DIY Dedication
It’s mostly wrenches. Why do they inspire more “ink” than other tools? Anyways, here’s the tattoo that should appeal the most to woodworkers:
3) Wax your Table Saw Table for Performance & Protection
“There’s nothing complicated about applying a coat of paste wax to tool tables or jigs in your shop. The three-step process is shown in the photos below.”
4) Oscillating Tool Accessories Chart: What Fits What?
“Now that the market is swamped with oscillating tools, there is a lot of talk about what brand’s accessories are interchangeable with what brand’s tools. Over the weekend, we went out to the shop and spent about an hour trying different accessories with different models and we came up with this chart…”
5) Win $2,500 by Entering the Dremel 30 Minute Miracles Contest
“Dremel is teaming up with DIY Network’s Paul Ryan to bring you the 30 Minutes Miracles Contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $2,500 American Express giftcard.”
6) Make a Quick-Release, Oversize Base for your Router
“I build a lot of drawers in my shop and I like to soften the edges of the assembled drawer box with a small roundover. But trying to hold a router stable on the thin edge of the drawer side is tricky.”
7) Furniture made from reclaimed wine-barrels
“Etsy seller Stil Novo Design makes beautiful furniture out of old wine-barrels. I remember visiting the Bushmill’s distillery in N. Ireland and asking what they did with their barrels after they were finishing converting grain to ambrosia, and the tour-guide said, “Oh, a man from town turns them into rubbish bins.””
8) Boomerang Plans and Video: Boomerangs Make Physics Fun
“If you’re pulling overtime elf duty in Santa’s Workshop and need one more gift, you can make a boomerang in an hour or two. Or if you’re going to have young people (or old ones too) hanging around over the holidays, take them out to the shop and get them involved.”
9) Nix Inaccurate Fence with Hardboard Template
“When making cuts with a portable circular saw, setting the distance from the straightedge to the edge of the baseplate often takes time and multiple measurements. To simplify this procedure, rip a hardboard template as wide as the distance from the edge of the baseplate to the inside edge of the saw blade…”
10) Build a Knick Knack Shelf
“In these free woodworking plans, we walk you step-by-step through building just such a shelf. While the unit is relatively basic, using very few mechanical fasteners, it is a fun project to build, and will show off your knick knacks as well as your woodworking skills.”
11) Review of Irwin Quick Grip Woodworking Clamps
“While the handle section is a bit bulky, which would likely prohibit clamping in tight quarters, the one-handed clamping action is ideal for situations where the user needs to hold stock in place with one hand while applying the clamp with the other hand.”
12) Cabinet Is Finished – With A Finish
“We’re about to finish a year and I’ve just finished a cabinet – with a finish. On all counts I’m happy as I can move into the holidays unencumbered by pressing schedules.”
13) Stickley Music Cabinet from Popular Woodworking Magazine Feb. 2010 Issue
14) Drills vs Hammer Drills vs Impact Drivers
“I’ve had the DeWalt Impact driver in my shop for several months now and I finally decided it was time to talk about it. Now this is my first and only impact driver, so I can’t really compare it to other brands. Instead, I decided it would be more useful to you if I discuss the differences between impact drivers, hammer drills, and regular drills.”
15) Christmas is for Woodworkers
“Christmas and woodworking have always gone together. Have you ever seen a movie, book or Christmas card where Santa’s shop was not chock full of elves making every sort of wooden toy? Nothing seems to speak to old fashioned holiday cheer like wood toys. I have made rattles, hobby horses, ornaments, cars, bulldozers, trucks, trains and dollhouses. The smell of wood, paint and varnish are right up there with pine and cinnamon as the scents of the holidays.”