Nov 072012
 
Morton's Shop: Mortise Template
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Now that the tenons are done, time for matching mortises.  Now, I could just scribe and chop them out by hand, there are only two.  However, I want them to be pretty tight and being risk-adverse at this stage in the project (I can’t get two more crotch walnut legs if I really screw up!) […]

Nov 062012
 
Morton's Shop: A Tale of Three Shavings
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There’s been some buzz around the internet of a video showing the effect of moving a hand-plane’s chipbreaker all the way to the front (within thousands of an inch of the iron’s tip).  Even Chris Schwarz had a post on it.  Pretty interesting stuff, and I decided to try it out myself. I won’t go […]

Nov 022012
 
The Plane Facts: Lie Nielsen #101 Violin Maker’s Plane – Just don’t let the name fool you!
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The Violin Maker’s Plane (A.K.A. the #101) is one of Lie-Nielsen’s newest planes, and the smallest to use a captive nut adjuster, which is such a bonus when dialing up the perfect shaving. This plane is based loosely on Stanley’s #101, but Lie-Nielsen has made a number of improvements to the original design. The body and cap are made […]

Nov 012012
 
Morton's Shop: Leg Curve
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I’m ready to final-size the legs which means using the template I created awhile ago.  I first traced the curve onto both sides of the workpiece.  Then over to the bandsaw to remove the waste. I try to cut about 1/16″ outside the lines so that there’s not too much material to remove with the […]

Oct 312012
 
Show Us Your Carving Followup: Michael Sweet
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Michael Sweet’s amazing totem pole was featured in the woodcarving column in the June 2012 issue of Wood News. He recently updated us on some of his most recent carving work: For Christmas I decided to make a Shogi game for my son. He was stationed in Japan during his stint with the USMC and […]

Oct 302012
 
Morton's Shop: Tenons for the Stretcher
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I need to add a tenon to each end of the curved stretcher. I use my full-scale drawing to find the tenon locations. After marking with a knife, I use a chisel to define a small v-groove to help guide the saw. I used my Bad Axe Toolworks Tenon Saw to define the tenon shoulder. […]

Oct 292012
 
A Wood Carving Show Winner: Mickey Hudspeth, Highland Instructor
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Our chip carving instructor Mickey Hudspeth has won numerous competitions for his exceptional chip carved pieces. At the Smoky Mountain Wood Carving Show in Townsend, TN earlier this month, Mickey added a couple more ribbons to his collection.   Here is a picture of Mickey’s table at the show, where his beautiful ornaments were featured. […]