As I develop my skills as a carpenter I like to share “little discoveries” that have made a difference in my projects. Much of what I have learned is from watching videos and then putting that knowledge into action, so I thought I’d first give a nod to some helpful sources. When it comes to making end grain cutting boards I have primarily used 3 sources. The “Wood Whisperer” (http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/) is very informative and entertaining; Mtmwood (http://mtmwood.com/) has exceptional Youtube videos and The Boardsmith (www.theboardsmith.com/). Although the boardsmith doesn’t include videos he has some great information on “why” we do endgrain boards. These artisans have been gracious enough to share their expertise with the world, so I try to...
My wife and I took a ride the other day to purchase a load of wood. Our journey took us eastward through the "foothills" area of the north Georgia mountains. Once past the multi-lane congestion of Atlanta, we wound our way through the picturesque countryside on the way to our destination. It was a beautiful early Fall day. The destination turned out to be a workshop full of some prime hardwood which was being sold in preparation for closing out the shop. The owner, a very pleasant and industrious young man was preparing to pursue missionary work in Africa in a few months. He patiently took the time to let us look through his wood supply and make our selections....
You have to have power to run the tools. If you have the knowledge & ability I suggest adding a few electrical outlets to your shop. Doing so at the beginning will help you as your shop grows. If you don’t have a THOROUGH working knowledge of electricity then bypass this step or get some help. I had the blessing of hanging around a contractor friend for several years and learned a lot. The biggest thing to remember with electricity is that it can kill you, so don’t play around…. That said, my electrical box is located in my shop so running a few extra lines (I had space on my box) was quite easy. I only run 12/2 wire...
Ok, we've talked about some basics for planning a shop so it’s time to have some fun. To a woodworker there is nothing more satisfying than building or creating things. A workbench is the perfect place to start as it’s simple and essential! The workbench is a must to our shop but it also needs to be personalized. I’m 6’2” so I want a bench that fits my height so I made mine 40” high. This left me plenty of space underneath to put a full size, stable shelf and further room under the shelf for more storage. My benchtop is 3’ X 5’ as I wanted a large enough work area that fit the space I had available. The...
Okay, I had a brain melt in forgetting one of the absolute “MUST HAVE’S” of any shop: THE FIRST AID KIT. It doesn’t have to be fancy since we’re (hopefully) not performing surgery so no need for tourniquets or heart paddles however having a few simple items will save you time and often some discomfort. Band aids are essentials, along with some type of antiseptic cleaner, antibiotic ointment, gauze type bandage and tape; even some sterile cloths for cleaning a wound would be beneficial. As with everything else in the shop, you can personalize to fit your needs. It's just so much easier to have these at hand when you "nick" yourself:) Regardless of how careful I am when...
