Prodigal Ponderings — carpenter hints RSS



Why Didn't I Think of That?

Every craftsman or "maker" of products knows that customers often help define how we look at, modify and sometimes even  conceive of the things we make.  We come up with an idea or conform to traditional concepts in the quest for what the buyer will like and then watch and listen Here's an example.   A good friend suggested we include pen blocks in our product line over a year ago.   Since this particular friend is an avid pen lover and enjoys attending  Pen shows, she enlightened us about the market for a way to display favorite writing instruments for pen lovers such as herself.   Over time we added a number of original design pen blocks to our...

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My Best Finishing Tip Update

On my December 4, 2017 blog post titled “My Best Finishing Tip for Hardwoods” I closed with my “Key Storage Tip” which had worked for me in the past. Well now I’m here to add to that tip.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from woodworking it’s to never think you have it all figured out, in other words, remain teachable!My key storage tip worked well for me until I got down to my can being about half empty, then I discovered that no matter how well I had sealed the can I was getting a film on the top of my finish.  After doing some research and once again relying on the expertise of other woodworkers I found that...

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My Best Finishing Tip for Hardwoods

After doing plenty of research and trying multiple methods I came up with my own process of finishing hardwoods for products that do not come in direct contact with food. I’ve used this process on chess boards, lathe pieces (such as candle holders and pepper mills) along with coaster sets, etc. The finish is clear, hard and beautiful! Before I begin I’ll tell you what I tried previously: 1. Minwax Paste Finishing Wax: a nice starter product that applies easy and protects the wood, but hardly an “eye popping” finish 2. Boiled Linseed Oil covered with Instant Bond Wood Adhesive: better, but not great 3. A variety of other finishes I saw online but again, none matched the success below:...

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Jet Lathe 1221VS Review

I’ve been a lathe owner for a little less than a year so I am in no way qualifying myself as an expert.  That said, I have created several salt and pepper mills and chess pieces that have received high compliments so I am an active lathe user.   Like many of my “turning” friends I started by purchasing a rather inexpensive 12” lathe from Harbor Freight.  If you have about $80 to spend (even less with a HF coupon) and want to see if turning is your thing, I highly recommend this route.  I burned this lathe out after a few months trying to drill center holes in my ginders.   So, after a few weeks of pondering and...

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My Favorite Woods

Oftentimes when I'm seeking advice from friends who are authorities in different areas of life I’m less interested in options and more interested in concrete recommendations. With that in mind, I'm offering my favorite woods that I use along with my reasons why. First off, I use primarily hardwoods. Softwoods like pine are great for construction but they lack the stability needed for cutting boards, utensils, etc.  My “go to” woods are maple, cherry and walnut because of their hardness and contrast with each other; oftentimes I will substitute mahogany or padauk for the walnut while keeping similar characteristics. Of these my favorite wood to use (perhaps surprisingly) is maple. It is a clean, light colored wood that shows its...

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