Random carving notes

By Jim, on August 30th, 2011%

I’m in the process of (re)organizing my garage to remove clutter and turn it into a woodworking shop of sorts. Not that it’ll be what you call a well-stocked shop, even for a hobbyist. My power tool collection includes two bandsaws (see below), a compound miter saw, some drills, a circular saw, jigsaw, and belt . . . → Read More: Random carving notes

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A wooden bandsaw

By Jim, on August 22nd, 2011%

I went looking for plans to build a simple rolling base for my bandsaw, as I’m getting tired of dragging it across the floor. I ran across this site, which is just great. He has pictures of a simple bandsaw base, and I think even an amateur wood hacker like me can figure out how . . . → Read More: A wooden bandsaw

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How hard is that wood?

By Jim, on August 19th, 2011%

The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a type of wood to withstand denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed a 11.28 mm (0.444 inches) diameter steel ball into wood to half the ball’s diameter. Why 11.28 mm? Because a circle with a diameter of 11.28 mm has an area of . . . → Read More: How hard is that wood?

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Mesquite stirrer

By Jim, on August 18th, 2011%

I cut this pattern from a piece left over when I cut out the mesquite spoon last month. I put the blank in my carving box and forgot about it until I was going through the box over the weekend.

Nothing special about the design: just a foot-long wooden stirrer with a hole in it. . . . → Read More: Mesquite stirrer

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Whittle Pup Tutorial Finished

By Jim, on August 16th, 2011%

I finally finished my Whittle Pup tutorial. If you’re interested in how I carve my little dogs or if you want to give it a try yourself, check it out.

Carving the Whittle Pup

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Salad claws in black cherry

By Jim, on August 16th, 2011%

The previous pair of salad claws were a bit too short, resulting in messy fingers. These are five inches long and almost three inches wide.

I cut these out on the band saw and did most of the shaping with a sanding drum on an old rotary tool. Then a lot of hand sanding (successive . . . → Read More: Salad claws in black cherry

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Is that wood toxic?

By Jim, on August 8th, 2011%

When working with a power carver (think, Dremel), you have to be very careful about protecting yourself from the effects of wood dust. Dust collection is a big deal to power carvers. And even when hand-sanding a small carving, one has to be careful. The effects of inhaling wood dust are uncomfortable at best and . . . → Read More: Is that wood toxic?

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You mean that didn’t fix anything?

By Jim, on August 4th, 2011%

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 512 points today, down 4.31%. The S&P 500 is down 4.78%. NASDAQ down over 5%. That’s on top of a 2+ percent loss on Tuesday. I can’t blame it all on the debt ceiling deal, but that’s a major contributor. Let me explain why.

Investors hate uncertainty. When they . . . → Read More: You mean that didn’t fix anything?

Comments are closed   Idiocy, Rants

Hoodwinked again

By Jim, on August 1st, 2011%

You’ve probably heard by now that President Obama and House Speaker Boehner have agreed on a plan that will allow an increase in the debt ceiling. We’re being told that the agreement is a great achievement. One news report, for example, says:

The White House and congressional leaders worked Monday to align lawmakers from both . . . → Read More: Hoodwinked again

Comments are closed   Idiocy