WoodWorkers Guild of America » Recent Posts

dalepage on "??? Router Table/Fence/Insert Purchase"

dalepage — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:23:12 +0000

I ordered my router table package on line. They have great customer service, which has a phone number on line. I was able to ask questions before ordering.

dalepage on "Which dust collector?"

dalepage — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:21:17 +0000

The problem I see with Delta is not the shipper, but the packaging. Somehow they think two layers of corrugated cardboard are going to protect sheet metal and tubing from damage. This machine is made in Taiwan, so it spends a lot of time in transit. Since two of the three machines I received had identical damage, I believe the damage is being done in the factory. Whether from poor design, lack of QC, or careless handling, the result to the customer is the same. I'll never buy another Delta tool and am surprised my Unisaw is such an outstanding machine.

Paul Mayer on "Which dust collector?"

Paul Mayer — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:40:17 +0000

Thanks for the update, Dale. I'm glad to hear that this unit is performing well and improving your shop environment. That's a bummer about the problems you had with Delta. I can't imagine what is going on there. Sounds like they need to use a different shipper. Thanks, Paul

George Vondriska on "??? Router Table/Fence/Insert Purchase"

George Vondriska — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:31:42 +0000

Phillip I've got the JessEm fence, table, and insert in my shop. Sorry, can't remembe where I purchased them. They've been in my shop for a very long time. G

dalepage on "Which dust collector?"

dalepage — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:57 +0000

Paul, I bought the Jet 1100 with the vortex feature. My table saw and band saw are permanently attached to it and I can really notice the lack of sawdust and airborn dust in my shop. The noise isn't too bad since I were ear muffs. Big thumbs up to Jet for this model. I would have bought a Delta with the one micron dust filter. However, after returning THREE of them for shipping damage, I gave up. When I called them, they couldn't care less and told me to contact a local dealer. That's when I went back to the Jet. It was almost twice the price, but worth it to me. If you read the reviews, you'll find several instances when the Delta unit had the same shipping damage as I had. It had dents in the frame and the fan rubbed the motor housing. Got the Jet unit from Woodcraft, where I bought my other Jet power tools. No complaints with their jointer. Their 15 inch planer was tough to get the infeed and outfeed rollers level, but it sure has power. I solved the level rollers problem by making a sled of melamine-covered MDF. It sits on each of the rollers and under the cutters, all in one four-foot piece. I got the idea from Marc Adams School of Woodworking two weeks ago.

dalepage on "??? Router Table/Fence/Insert Purchase"

dalepage — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:24:11 +0000

Philip, I recently bought a JessEm package on sale. The package gave me an upgraded table along with the entry level lift and fence. I added their brand of stop block, which slides on the T-track of the fence. The table is steady and comes with levelers. I bought locking casters at Lowes and can roll the table under a tall work bench if I take off the fence. Shipping was quick, despite coming from Canada, and well packaged. Dale

philipdeitsch on "??? Router Table/Fence/Insert Purchase"

philipdeitsch — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:13:09 +0000

I am at a point where I would like to purchase a router table/fence/insert and I don't want to make the wrong choice. After watching George in the "Shaker Sideboard" and the "Bedside Table" DVD's the brand(s) he used looked accurate and easy to use. I would like to know the brand name of the router table, fence and the insert shown in those videos and where they were purchased. I know they were not inexpensive and for that reason I don't want to make a wrong purchase and am asking your guidance. I am a longtime subscriber to your "Woodworking Video Collection." Thank you for your insight and I look forward to your response.

George Vondriska on "table project in furniture making video"

George Vondriska — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:33:18 +0000

There is a PDF on the DVD that includes a cut list for the project, but not a drawing.

Lowell K. on "Welcome to the WWGOA Forum"

Lowell K. — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:21:05 +0000

Hi All! I just joined the site today and was wondering where I can find project plans? I can't seem to locate them. Thanks.

EsyRider on "table project in furniture making video"

EsyRider — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:02:17 +0000

Interested in making the table assembled in the "Furniture Making: secrets, skills and Techniques" video. is there a measured plan available for this table? Thanks in advance. EsyRider

RingNeckBlues on "Carvewright machine"

RingNeckBlues — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:08:51 +0000

<blockquote>Yonak wrote: FW, in the interest of fairness and full disclosure, do you work for CarveWright or, otherwise, have an interest in the sale of them ? I didn't see any disclaimer.</blockquote> Yonak, No problem with your question sir. I am a independent sales rep for the CarveWright system, paid on a commission basis. I also do training on the machine and software, make and sell patterns for the CarveWright, help users trouble shoot problems and make and sell a dust collection attachment (DC-INSERT) for the machine. I am also a member/moderator of the <a href="http://cutscarvesandcolors.ning.com/">CNCARTGUILD</a>

Yonak on "Carvewright machine"

Yonak — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:57:59 +0000

FW, in the interest of fairness and full disclosure, do you work for CarveWright or, otherwise, have an interest in the sale of them ? I didn't see any disclaimer.

RingNeckBlues on "Carvewright machine"

RingNeckBlues — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:21:44 +0000

<blockquote>SAKeller wrote: As a longtime user of a ShopBOT, I am a huge advocate of this machine. While I have no experience with the CarveWright, these machines essentially do the same thing... they translate computer drawings to routing paths. Just like any other machine in your shop, they require regular maintenance. The tighter the tolerances you are seeking, the more particular you will need to be! CNC machines are pretty amazing technology. Considering the CW is less than $3000 (this is about what a nice table saw costs) it does have incredible capability. In my opinion, there are two places where CNC really shine. First, is super intricate reproduction carving (where you do not need to make the model). The second is one thing, over and over again... this way, someone can be trained to load and unload all day long. They require a great deal of concentration, and any little step you miss along the way can mean a broken bit ($30!) a destroyed workpiece ($$!!) or a broken machine ($$$!!!). Having said this, I can't imagine not having a CNC in my shop!</blockquote> Intro base price right now for the CW in $1200 so deal is even better now than when I got mine @ $1900 in 2007. Machine is better made also. Shopbot is really trying to get into the smaller system to compete with CW I believe. People I have talked with do like the shopbot system a lot.

SAKeller on "Carvewright machine"

SAKeller — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:26:19 +0000

As a longtime user of a ShopBOT, I am a huge advocate of this machine. While I have no experience with the CarveWright, these machines essentially do the same thing... they translate computer drawings to routing paths. Just like any other machine in your shop, they require regular maintenance. The tighter the tolerances you are seeking, the more particular you will need to be! CNC machines are pretty amazing technology. Considering the CW is less than $3000 (this is about what a nice table saw costs) it does have incredible capability. In my opinion, there are two places where CNC really shine. First, is super intricate reproduction carving (where you do not need to make the model). The second is one thing, over and over again... this way, someone can be trained to load and unload all day long. They require a great deal of concentration, and any little step you miss along the way can mean a broken bit ($30!) a destroyed workpiece ($$!!) or a broken machine ($$$!!!). Having said this, I can't imagine not having a CNC in my shop!

Quark on "Welcome to the WWGOA Forum"

Quark — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:19:23 +0000

When I enrolled in the premium program, I was expecting to see more premium videos than are available. Hopefully they will be here soon?

DonaldRobinson on "Built-in Kitchen cabinets"

DonaldRobinson — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:12:00 +0000

There are many websites which provides a verity of kitchen cabinets online. You can get an affordable kitchen cabinets at <a href="http://www.thertastore.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.thertastore.com</a>. I bought a shaker cabinets last month at very low price than market price.

RingNeckBlues on "Carvewright machine"

RingNeckBlues — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:37:50 +0000

<blockquote>pakimball wrote: I am a furniture maker of many many years, and now a teacher, teaching the old ways in addition to the newest technologies. We bought a Carvewright about 3 years ago, I did everything they told us to do with the machine, including spending boatloads of money buying upgrades and replacement parts. Yes, cleaning it COMPLETELY SPOTLESS INSIDE between projects. I was the only person to operate the machine. IMHO this machine is fine if you are retired and work by yourself doing projects now and then. The machine is not built to handle the rigors of anything remotely like a production environment. The concept is good, design-not so good. but that's just one guys experience...who knows...maybe I got one they built friday afternoon, or monday morning!</blockquote> I agree in that the CW is not marketed as a full shop production machine but do know several who do use the machine that way. Being a closed unit, no like the full sized CNC machines, you do have to pay special attention to the cleaning and lubrication on the machine. Having a good dust collection system pays big dividends and saves a lot of head aches. I do make and sell a top mount collection attachment for the CarveWright. look up ringneckblues.com if you need more info. The new C version machines have addressed a lot of the issues found with the old CompuCarve and replacing the QC with the carve tight chuck reduced a lot of the vibration issues which cause a lot of problems with the electrical system.

pakimball on "Carvewright machine"

pakimball — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:19:42 +0000

I am a furniture maker of many many years, and now a teacher, teaching the old ways in addition to the newest technologies. We bought a Carvewright about 3 years ago, I did everything they told us to do with the machine, including spending boatloads of money buying upgrades and replacement parts. Yes, cleaning it COMPLETELY SPOTLESS INSIDE between projects. I was the only person to operate the machine. IMHO this machine is fine if you are retired and work by yourself doing projects now and then. The machine is not built to handle the rigors of anything remotely like a production environment. The concept is good, design-not so good. but that's just one guys experience...who knows...maybe I got one they built friday afternoon, or monday morning!

RingNeckBlues on "Carvewright machine"

RingNeckBlues — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:16:26 +0000

Great to see the CaveWright machine being posted here. I have been a user since Sept. 2007. Mathman is correct about the learning curve with the software. If you have a good background in computers and designing the slope is not to steep. For those who do not, there are plenty of resources available to hep you out. On being the CarveWright forum, link from their main site. Every project I've run still amazes me on what it can do. Only limited by your imagination !

dalepage on "Shop accidents"

dalepage — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:54:19 +0000

At 64, I still have all my fingers. My friend wasn't so lucky and cut off all the fingers on his left hand while using a radial arm saw. I have one rule that will save you enormous pain and lifelong regret: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BLADE! Between that and not using a tool for something it wasn't intended to do, you can really cut down on accidents. dalepage

dalepage on "need jig for thin rip cuts on the table saw (SHORT PIECES)"

dalepage — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:12:02 +0000

jcolbert, I just took a one-day course entitled "How to Get the Most from Your Band Saw." Michael Fortune was the guest instructor at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Michael would tell you that trying to saw those pen blanks with a table saw is very dangerous. Not only that, you are wasting wood with the kerf. Michael uses a small benchtop bandsaw for jobs like this, including his mother of pearl inlay. He is very satisfied with the Rigid brand, which he says costs only about $200. You can find "how to tune a bandsaw" on line. If he can do mega buck commissions with that little band saw, you should be able to cut pen blanks safely. You can easily make a jig to hold the pen blanks and keep your fingers 3 inches or more away from the blade and never pushing toward the blade with a finger. Regards, dalepage

SAKeller on "Shop safety"

SAKeller — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:03:22 +0000

Hi jpbrady- I couldn't agree more! I have had a number of close calls, minor nicks or cuts on the tablesaw. 3 times I have called my friend who is a Dr. and furniture maker. He always says, 'consider yourself lucky that this is all the damage you did.'!! He considers these events not-so-subtle reminders of how dangerous these tools are that we work with on a daily basis. In addition to the 'one last cut' mistakes that occur in the shop, the ones that I am also very mindful of are the ones where I am performing repetitive tasks for an hour or more... it is really easy to let your mind wander in these instances. Be careful out there. Woodworking is more fun with ten fingers! Seth

SAKeller on "hand plane storage rack"

SAKeller — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:57:38 +0000

How many hand planes do you have? do you have a full set, plan on getting a full set, or just a variety of the essentials... block plane, #4, #4.5. I think this affects what you might plan on designing. I think a plexi- or glass cover would be great. I also wonder if you might want to store other hand tools in the same rack that you use frequently, like your favorite square, chisels, scrapers and handsaws? Just a thought. I look forward to your reply! Seth

Paul Mayer on "Stretching your skills"

Paul Mayer — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:19:45 +0000

I recently received some limbs from a chestnut tree that were special to a friend of mine as her now-deceased father had planted the trees on the family farm many years ago. This was the first time I had started a woodworking project from a log, and it was a learning experience on several fronts (with a bit of "shapely firewood" produced in the process). Here is a pic of the completed set of utensils.

George Vondriska on "Stretching your skills"

George Vondriska — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:21:49 +0000

Oops, I had meant to include a pic of the armoire. Here it is. G

George Vondriska on "Stretching your skills"

George Vondriska — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:07:45 +0000

It's easy to fall into a woodworking rut, tending toward using the same skills, materials, finishes....over and over. I'm guilty of it, and sometimes it starts to feel like the same old same old. It's time for you to let us know how you've stretched yourself in woodworking. Share with us something you've done on a project that was new to you at the time. Here's my example. I built a jewelry armoire not too long ago. I wanted to add a littlte color and contrast to the walnut I was using, so decided to veneer some components with Ambrosia maple. Prior to this I had done very little work with veneer. To complicate things a little more, the drawer fronts that received the veneer were curved. I used a vacuum bag (for the first time) and everything went well. I love how it looks. Don't be shy. Fill us in on your latest and greatest skill improvements. G

Editor on "Can videos be saved"

Editor — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:04:17 +0000

No, at this time you are not able to download the videos and store them on your computer. However, as a premium member you are able to choose from a large library of high quality woodworking videos never before seen on the web. Your premium membership is similar to Netflix, where you are renting the content, but not able to save it to your PC. In the coming months we will be adding features where you can “purchase” some of the video segments for downloading and saving to your own personal woodworking library. Watch for this during the summer months. Keep in mind that although you cannot download the videos, you can watch them anytime and anywhere on a PC, Mac or mobile device 1 time or 100 times. And, new video tips and techniques, woodworking classes and projects are being added monthly. Be sure to sign up today to receive all the benefits of being a premium member.

NTDoeden on "Welcome to the WWGOA Forum"

NTDoeden — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:00:50 +0000

<blockquote>NTDoeden wrote: George, Really appreciate the quality of the videos. Recently, you talked about a scroll attachment for the bandsaw. I have a 14 " Delta bandsaw and have tried to find a scroll attachment without success. Could you please tell me where you purchased the scroll attachment? Thanking you in advance Norm Doeden</blockquote>

dalepage on "Butcher block table top tips"

dalepage — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:58:21 +0000

And wear a dust mask when you saw that treated lumber!

dalepage on "Which dust collector?"

dalepage — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:04:37 +0000

Thanks, Paul. I appreciate your taking the time to answer. I will check out the article right now.

jwoodworke on "Can videos be saved"

jwoodworke — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:25:57 +0000

I'm thinking about joining your video club. Can videos be stored on my computer for viewing later?

Paul Mayer on "Which dust collector?"

Paul Mayer — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:15:39 +0000

Hi Dale, First, welcome to WWGOA. I like the Jet model that you are referring to. I think the Vortex design is innovative, and is a good path forward for single stage dust collectors which have largely been plagued over the years by poor dust separation. So if you are resigned to a single stage design, I would opt that direction. Keep in mind that this size DC will only be adequate for direct connection to tools or a small duct system. If you are planning a larger duct system, then you will want to look at a larger system. As an altnernative to the single stage systems, I suggest taking a look at cyclones as well which do a better job separating out fine dust before putting into the filter. I recently upgraded from a single stage system to a Clear Vue cyclone and the difference in CFM to all of my tools was dramatic. You can read about it here: <a href="http://www.wwgoa.com/articles/product-reviews/stepping-up-to-better-dust-collection/" rel="nofollow">http://www.wwgoa.com/articles/product-reviews/stepping-up-to-better-dust-collection/</a>. Good luck with your decision!

dalepage on "Which dust collector?"

dalepage — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:21:12 +0000

Does anyone have a preference for a dust collector machine? I'm interested in the one- or two-micron models. Have had three Delta 50-760's returned for shipping damage. Right now I'm leaning toward the Jet 1100VX, which filters out 86 per cent of the 1-micron particles. All answers appreciated. Thanks.

NTDoeden on "Welcome to the WWGOA Forum"

NTDoeden — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:26:08 +0000

George, Really appreciate the quality of the videos. Recently, you talked about a scroll attachment for the bandsaw. I have a 14 " Delta bandsaw and have tried to find a scroll attachment without success. Could you please tell me where you purchased the scroll attachment? Thanking you in advance Norm Doeden

George Vondriska on "Using a Dovetail Jig"

George Vondriska — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:30:12 +0000

Jackson I've used the through dovetail template a number of times. A couple things.... Since the teimplate is fixed, not adjustable, I size my parts to the dovetail increments, making them so I end up with a half pin at each edge of the board. If you do this, numbering the joints isn't as critical. The pin and socket boards go into the jig good face out. Cut the sockets in one end, rotate the board end for end, cut the other end. Tail boards go in the jig good face in. Same procedure....cut one end, rotate end for end, cut the other end. If the joint is symmetrical, half pin on each edge, you can do all the cuts on the same side of the jig (left or right). When you assemble keep the edge of each piece that was against the alignment shoulder on the jig registered, and you should be fine. I think my description reads more complicated than the process really is. Let me know if you have more questions. G