Highland Staff

Oct 082015
 

While attending Woodworking in America 2015 (#wia15), the Highland Woodworking staff had an opportunity to take some video of all of the action happening at The Marketplace and in a few of the classes. We put it all together and wanted to share it with those who were unable to attend this year (and to reminisce with those who did).

Enjoy!

 

Sep 162015
 

septemberhwtOur most recent issue of The Highland Woodturner is now available for reading!

This month’s issue includes:

Marking and Measuring– The majority of Curtis’s current Windsor Tool project consists of turning several different matching parts that require accurate measurements in order to fit together. In this article, Curtis discusses different measuring tools he uses in order to get these accurate measurements.

Turning a Small Classic Child’s Bench– Temple Blackwood has been making small child benches for most of his turning career and in this project article he discusses how he makes them.

Show Us Your Woodturning– This month we’re sharing the woodturning projects of Scott Fruchter and his grandson, Cameron, who learned how to turn from his grandfather.

Phil’s Turning Tip– Phil has a turning tip on rounding the outside of the rim on your turning projects, which will help prevent cracking.

All of this and more in our September 2015 issue of The Highland Woodturner.

Sep 092015
 

wn121Welcome back to woodworking season! Our September issue of Wood News Online is full of projects, new tools, and woodworking tips to help motivate your return to the shop!

This month’s issue includes:

Where Are All The Girls in the Shop– This month Anne spends a day in the shop with Kim McIntyre, who grew up in her father’s workshop and has been doing some kind of woodwork all throughout her life. In the article, Kim discusses how to make handmade cutting boards, her favorite beginner’s project.

Show Us Your Shop– Richard Lahr has traveled around a lot during his life and so has his workshop. Currently, his shop resides in Gulf Cove, FL where he makes custom furniture and works on yachts.

Show Us Your Woodworking– Steve Lyde’s favorite style of woodworking is Greene & Greene. This month he shows off  a variety of custom furniture pieces he has made for his home.

Show Us Your Carving– Mark Levin has studied under several master carvers who have inspired him to develop multiple table series including his Leaf Series and his Fruit Series.

The Down to Earth Woodworker– This month Steve focuses on sharpening, including how to achieve the elusive “perfect edge,” a comparison between the Tormek T-4 and the Tormek T-7 Sharpening Systems, and answers More Frequently Asked Questions.

Tips from Sticks in the Mud– Jim figures out how to use his tablesaw fence rail as a backstop for biscuit slot and domino cutting, and shares a money saving tip on repurposing speaker magnets.

This month we’ve got in-depth reviews of the Hamilton Marking Gauge and Christopher Purney’s, The Furniture Bible.

We’re also looking forward to some great woodworking events including Woodworking in America at the end of the month in Kansas City, MO, and a visit from Roy Underhill to Highland Woodworking for our Fall Open House in October.

This month’s deals include a 33% discount on several different Fox Chapel woodworking books, a great deal on the Rikon 10″ Bandsaw, and if you’ve been needing a new workbench for woodworking season, check out the deal on the Sjobergs Hobby-Plus Workbench.

We’ve also got some great new tools including Blue Spruce Toolworks Hand Tools, Sterling Tool Works Roubo Curves, Bad Axe Hand Saws, and a new Woodpeckers One Time Tool.

All of this and more in our September issue of Wood News Online!

Aug 212015
 

wt53This month we’ve got a great issue of The Highland Woodturner, our online newsletter dedicated exclusively to turning.

Our August 2015 issue includes:

Making a Guiro– A Guiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument turned out of a hollow gourd and played with a stick or tines. In this article, Curtis Turner discusses the selection process for the wood, turning the beads, making the handle, and cutting the slot that helps produce the recognized sound of the Guiro.

Topping off a Turning Lesson– Our newest blogger, Mollie Simon, just took Hal Simmons’ Beginning Turning class at Highland, and she has a full report of what she learned in the class and how it is a great class for beginning woodturners!

Show Us Your Woodturning– This month we are featuring the beautiful woodturning projects from by Eldon DeHaan, who makes one-of-a-kind pieces that start off on the lathe and are then embellished, carved, and colored.

Phil’s Turning Tip- Phil has a tip on the benefits of using Foam-Backed Sandpaper.

Our featured turning tools this month include:

The Rikon 8 inch Professional Low Speed Bench Grinder

The Record Power SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package

All of this and more in our August 2015 issue of The Highland Woodturner.

Aug 072015
 

augustwnWe’re in the last stretch of Summer and woodworking season is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get an early start on your upcoming projects! We’ve just released our August 2015 issue of Wood News Online full of project ideas, woodworking tips, shop ideas, and more!

This month’s issue includes:

Carving a Bernese Mountain Dog– Linda Master specializes in carving miniatures and this month she goes through the process of carving a miniature bernese mountain dog at 1:12 scale, and it even includes the use of alpaca fiber for the fur.

Working with Reclaimed Wood– Thomas Garcia shares a recent woodturning tool stand he made out of reclaimed wood, and also discusses his homemade recipe for wood filler that is great at taking on stains!

Where are all the Girls in the Shop– This month, Anne interviews Andrea Ramsay, who used to have a job in the technology industry before switching to her passion in hand tool woodworking! They discuss a good beginners project for woodworking…making a straight edge.

Festool Video of the Month– In our newest segment of Wood News, we will be highlighting a different Festool Power Tool each month with our product tour videos on YouTube. This month’s video features the Festool Cordless Field Day!

This month’s ‘Show Us’ series includes:

Show Us Your Shop– We take a look at Tim Schnedetz’s new shop building in Creston, OH, which he built with his son-in-law to replace his old barn garage shop that just wasn’t big enough!

Show Us Your Stuff– We have previously featured Jeff Greenberg in our Show Us Your Carving and Show Us Your Woodturning columns, and this month we are featuring his beautiful woodworking projects that feature a water clear epoxy as an added design element.

Show Us Your Carving– Lamar Holland has learned a lot of his carving skills from his friends at the Atlanta Woodworking Club and he has used these skills to create several carvings that have won 1st and 2nd place ribbons in the Georgia National Fair!

Our regular woodworking tip columns include:

The Down to Earth Woodworker– As always, Steve covers a wide variety of woodworking in his column including a behind the scenes look at the Tormek T-4 Sharpening System, Steve’s most frequently asked questions related to his monthly column and videos, working on a level surface in your shop, and lastly he gives a preview of the upcoming prime shop season.

Finishing: Alan Noel– This month, Alan has a list of steps you can take in order to age new brasses to a soft warm glow to become part of your new furniture pieces or old restored pieces.

Tips from Sticks in the Mud– This month Jim has a workaround for those who don’t yet have the new battery-powered impact drill drivers, as well as a money-saving tip on a replacement for knee pads when you have to be working in the shop on your knees.

Ask the Staff– Steve, one of our customers from Lincoln, NE is looking for a product that can be applied to MDF in order to keep water from penetrating it. Our knowledgable staff has the answer!

Two Minute Safety Tip– This month we brought back a popular tip for the summer that advises you to stay hydrated and keep your blood sugar up in these warm working conditions.

This month’s product reviews include:

Book Review: New Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp– SketchUp is a very useful computer program for woodworkers and this month Norm reviews Bob Lang’s New Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp which comes as a CD-ROM and can be used as a guide while you are working in SketchUp at the same time.

Tool Review: Beall Wood Buff Kit– Jeff Fleisher gives us a full review and video demo of this great finishing kit for woodturners that can be used with your lathe to apply beautiful finishes to your projects.

And lastly we’ve got some great new products and specials this month including:

The Bad Axe Stiletto Dovetail Saw

Tormek T-4 Sharpening System 

Record Power SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package

All of this and more in our August 2015 issue of Wood News Online.

Jul 112015
 

wn119Our July 2015 issue of Wood News Online is now available and we’ve got some great woodworking articles, safety tips, tool advice, and reviews.

This month’s issue includes:

Recognizing a Quality Hand Tool– Kerry Lambertson discusses the unique qualities that you can find in an old hand tool, and puts the message out there that woodworkers should demand nothing less than the highest quality in tools.

Making Whirligigs– After repairing his friends whirligig, Ken Radziwanowski realized how easy they are to build and started making them on his own. It became a serious hobby and in this article he discusses his process.

Where are All the Girls in the Shop?– Anne Briggs Bohnett, more commonly known as Anne of All Trades, has just recently started writing a monthly column for Wood News. In her first article she discusses how she got started in woodworking and how finding another female woodworker through Instagram pushed her to become the woodworker she is today.

Woodworking Community Calendar– If you scroll to the bottom of our newsletter, in the lefthand column we have our new Woodworking Community Calendar, where we list woodworking happenings going on at Highland Woodworking as well as events around the country. If you would like to submit your event, feel free to email woodnews@highlandwoodworking.com

Our Show Us series includes:

Show Us Your Shop– This month we’ve got Haim Loran’s shop in Easton, MD, where he collaborates with his wife on projects. His shop is full of all different types of woodworking equipment, which he lists in his column.

Show Us Your Woodworking– Check out the spice rack and other woodworking projects made by Rodney Haywood, whose projects are inspired by the woodworking of George Nakashima.

Show Us Your Carving– Martin Antaramian shares his beautiful carvings, which have been inspired by the concept of moving fabric and are made out of a wide variety of woods.

Our woodworking tips sections include:

Tips from Sticks in the Mud– Jim Randolph has a tip on different ways to repair wood defects, as well as a money saving tip on using food containers and soda cans as mixing vessels for epoxy and other woodworking concoctions.

Two Minute Safety Tip– Konrad Plachta from Tasmania, Australia, shares a tip on safely holding your turning tools while working at the lathe.

Finishing Tip– Alan Noel shares a few tips on easing the clamping challenge when restoring furniture or adding finish to a new piece.

The Down to Earth Woodworker– This month, Steve discusses the recall of his favorite fluorescents, shares a new tool technology found in brushless DC motors, discusses the difference between remodeling vs. woodworking, explains the process behind making a Highland Woodworking YouTube Product Tour, and reminds us all to put a little bit of love into each of our woodworking projects.

Ask the Staff– James is building a rocking chair and asked us what the best set of rasps to use together on a rocking chair project would be…

This month’s product reviews include:

Book Review: Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking– This month, Norm is reviewing Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking in honor of what would be his 100th birthday.

Tool Review: Benchcrafted Moxon Vise– If you want to add a great accessory to your workbench that will help with dovetails and edge work, look no further than the Benchcrafted Moxon Vise.

Some of our new products this month include:

Rikon Professional Low Speed Grinder

Woodpeckers OneTime Tool

Updated Veritas MK II Honing Guide

New Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp

All of this and more in our July 2015 issue of Wood News Online.

Jun 182015
 

hwtjune2015If you’re in need of some turning project ideas, look no further than this month’s issue of The Highland Woodturner, which is full of a variety of projects for turners of all levels.

This month’s issue includes:

Acorn Turning and Burning: Acorns are a quick and easy turning project, but what makes this specific project unique is the wood burning techniques that Curtis has incorporated. Check out these beautiful acorns and make some of your own!

Project: A Wobbly Weedpot: Weedpots are a popular first turning project, but Rick Morris takes it to another level and adds a weeble concept to the project. Weebles were popular toys from the 1970’s with the famous catchphrase “Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.” Rick includes step by step turning directions so you can make your own!

Pen Turning Video Tutorial: We’ve brought back our popular pen turning video with Morton, who gives you the step-by-step video directions of turning beautiful wooden pens.

Show Us Your Woodturning: This month we’re showing the woodturnings of Bruce Hoover, who has turned a variety of projects including urns, bowls, platters, and more.

All of this and more in our June 2015 issue of The Highland Woodturner.