Finally I am back!

After Easter and Communions and business trips I am finally back home with some spare time for my new passion!  To help get me into the shop I decided to participate in the 2014 Summers 2x4 Woodworking competition.  What that entailed was me build something out of a 2x4, 8 feet long and doing a YouTube build video.  Actually this would be my first YouTube video.  Right in the beginning of filming I had a close call which caused me to make a change in my project.

Check it out here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gTRPqjy3gg

After that I wanted to actually build something more fun and creative so on the last day of the competition at 4:00 in the afternoon I get the bright idea to try to build and video edit a project in 8 hours!  I was pleased with how it came out.

Second Entry - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf4i4ZUUZuA

So I didn't win but that was OK.  I wanted to see what it was like to actually do a build video and you know what?  I had a blast!  I really enjoyed it and will continue to do build videos.  Steve Carmichael actually won the competition with an amazing project...he built a fully functioning guitar out of a 2x4....a GUITAR!  A very well deserved win for Steve.

Steve's project - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaZhDHcAN78  

So be prepared for a LOT of content to come down the pike....a lot of exciting and fun stuff is on it's way.

Damn it is good to be back! :-)

New article about woodworking tools

A BIG thank you to Steve Carmichael for allowing me to post an article on his website at www.thecarmichaelworkshop.com.  It's all about the good, bad and ugly side of woodworking tools.

FINALLY! The "shop" starts to take shape

So finally the cold weather has hopefully passed us by and I can actually do some woodworking!  But first I had to set up some of my "shop".  Up till now this was the mess I had to work with.

It is a 2 car garage that I have to share with the family.  If you can't tell there is a TON of junk behind the tools as well.  This made for a very frustrating working experience.  But now with the warm weather I was able to move the summer stuff out, clear out some junk and create a dedicated space for my woodworking obsession.  What a difference a day makes!

 

I still have a few items in the corner to donate and that will give me even MORE room.  I am very excited to have this much space.  Now I don't plan to build anything permanent right away.  I want to see exactly how I will work with my tools as well as where they will be shooting dust.  Almost all of my upcoming projects will be around shop set up.  Projects like tool organizers, safety cabinet and shop jigs.  Oh boy let the fun begin!!

Woodworking and Art come together for Charity

In a previous post I talked about the awesome woodworking community and how woodworkers go out of their way to help other woodworkers.  Well that desire to help others doesn't stop with just other woodworkers.  One of the more popular YouTube woodworkers is Steve Ramsey from Woodworking for Mere Mortals.  Lately he has been auctioning off his weekly projects to the Make-A-Wish Foundation where 100% of the proceeds go to the charity.  Well this week he did a little something extra and teamed up with another YouTuber, Xiaonan Sun of ThePortraitArt YouTube Channel.  Xiaonan creates these unbelievable works of art via time-lapse video.  So this week Xiaonan created a beautiful picture of a child staring at a candle and Steve built a equally beautiful custom frame for it.  Please check out their videos and please share.  When you share you will be helping great people who are putting out great videos for a great cause.

Click here for Steve's Video

Click here for Xiaonan's Video

Click here the eBay Listing

Edge Jointing without the Jointer

So one of the cool things about woodworking tools is that there is a special tool for almost every activity involved in working with wood.  Unfortunately that also means it can get very expense, very quickly.  So what we have to do is find ways to combine task with tools we already have.  At this point a jointer clearly falls into my "like to have bucket".  But it does serve a important purpose in the shop.  It allows you to create perfect straight edges to your boards for glue ups.  So while the tool is a "like to have" the task it performs is a "must have".  So what's a new woodworker to do?  Here are two VERY simple ways to turn either your router or table saw into a jointer!

Using a router as an edge-jointer by Steve Ramsey from Woodworking for Mere Mortals

and

Simple Jig to turn your table saw into a jointer by Izzy Swan from Think Wood Works

Thanks guys for helping us save a little money....now I can look into that planer. ;-)

2 quick finishing tips

In any woodworking project it simply comes down to 4 steps

1. Design/Plan
2. Cut
3. Assembly
4. Finish

Everyone enjoys or doesn't enjoy as much particular steps.  Personally my least favorite is the finishing portion of the project.  I think it's just cause you put so much work into the first 3 steps that if you don't do the last one well it could ruin all your hard work.  Well here are 2 quick yet effective tips to help anyone close the deal and wrap up that project.


How to apply a fast and easy wood finish by Steve Ramsey over at Woodworking for Mere Mortals

Easy Wood Finish Rustic Style! by Izzy Swan (the Jig Master!....that's my name for him)

Homemade Dust Collection for your Circular Saw

When I think about the workshop I will build this spring Dust Collection is the one thing that keeps me up at night.  Like most of us, our workshops are not as big as we would like.  Mine will be in the garage sharing space with my wife's car and our other garage junk.  So keeping a shared small workplace clean and organized has to be a priority.  I plan on doing a lot of talking, planning and building around dust collection and this simple yet amazing project from Jay Bates just moved to the top of my to do list.

Check the video out over at JaysCustomCreations.com

Adding Dust Collection To A Circular Saw