Woodworking Blog

Summer is coming to a close, but that usually means the woodworking season picks back up again and people are out in their shops in the (usually) lovely weather that Autumn brings. We’re happy to have just released our September issue of Wood News Online, #109, full of even more project ideas than past issues have had, as well as some great tips, tricks, and woodworking deals.

This month’s issue includes:

• Project Ideas: Wine Glass Cabinet – Forrest Bonner discusses his plans and construction process of a wine glass cabinet for his wife. In this project article, he goes over the SketchUp plan he created and then has a step-by-step picture instruction of the actual creation of the project.
• Continuing with last month’s Electric Bass Guitar Build, Lee Laird continues his build and has to decide what kind of neck he will build on the guitar, with either a “neck-through body” or a separate neck that connects to the Bass’s body. Find out which one he chooses and how he builds it in this issue!
• We’ve got an interview with our Lie-Nielsen/Tormek Sweepstakes winner, Kevin Meske, who took some time to answer a few questions about his new tools and what kind of projects he is making with them.

Our Show Us series includes:

• Show Us Your Shop with Glenn Miller’s beautiful Catskills shop in the upstate New York. Glenn gives us a history of his woodworking pastime and shares some of his projects that he has completed.
• Show Us Your Woodworking with Duane Holmes’ Southern Ladies Desk, as well as a beautiful chest he is building for his granddaughter full of inlay and veneer.
• Show Us Your Carving with Sarah Rowe, our first ever Show Us Your Carving contributor whose column originally appeared in our July 2011 issue of Wood News.

Our monthly tip contributors include:

•  The Down to Earth Woodworker just got a new set of Aluminum Clamps in his shop,  which he absolutely loves and gives us a great review of them. He also discusses the uses and advantages of Hot Glue and how he can use it instead of double-stick tape at the bandsaw. Lastly, he compares woodworkers to farmers and finds that they share a lot in common. And let’s not forget Part 5 of his SawStop Outfeed Table Video Series.
• Tips from Sticks in the Mud contributor, Jim Randolph gives us a tip on dust collection for projects where you don’t want to spend time setting up an entire dust collection system. He also let’s us in on a little secret of obtaining work buckets for free.
• Alan Noel gives us seven tips on protecting our shop from Spontaneous Combustion.
• This month’s safety tip contributed by Tyler Stokes advises us on cutting small parts safely.
• Our Ask the Staff Q&A gives us advice on protecting your finished tables and projects from dogs and other pets with nails.

We’ve also got some great product reviews on The Complete Manual of Woodworking and the Lenox Tri-Master Carbide Tipped Bandsaw Blade.

And while you’re reading, check out our newest products including the Elipse P100 Dust Mask, the Woodpeckers OneTime Tool – Angle Gauge, the Benchcrafted Classic Leg Vise, and the Rikon Grinder.

All of this and more woodworking products, tips, and project ideas in our September issue of Wood News Online.

Have you read the new issue of The Highland Woodturner yet?

Our August issue contains several great articles, projects, and tips that can be used in the woodturning realm.

This month, Curtis Turner focuses on the use of Liming Wax and Sandblasting to help embellish and enhance the surfaces of your turned projects. He goes over the process of sandblasting and alternative methods, and also gives some good tips on using liming wax and how to use it safely.

Rick Morris gets a start on turning for the holidays and gives a step-by-step outline of Turning a Christmas Tree. He lets you know the tools and materials you need, as well as multiple pictures of the creation process.

Natural Edge turning offers a different look to your turned projects and this month’s ‘Show Us Your Woodturning‘ contributor, Gene Russell, shows off his beautiful natural edge bowls.

Phil Colson offers a tip involving the finishing of your turning by letting you know what to do if you have a broken nozzle on your can of finish. Check out the Nozzle Tip.

And don’t forget to check out Popular Woodworking’s Woodturning with Tim Yoder with a special episode on Turning a String Top Toy.

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

We just published the August issue of Wood News Online, which contains a lot of great project ideas, safety tips, and woodworking community stories.

One of our community stories, Woodturning with a Cause, written by Aaron Cooley, talks about Aaron’s work with the organization We Ride to Provide, an organization dedicated to “honoring, serving, and supporting K-9 teams in Georgia and wherever else they can help.” This includes providing support for the K-9 units from the beginning to the end of their lives through donations of both money and other items. As a woodworker, Aaron has been able to provide his support by donating urns that he has personally turned and finished himself.

Another highlight of this months Wood News issue is the beginning of Lee Laird’s series on Building an Electric Bass Guitar. Lee has been playing instruments all of his life (on top of being a woodworker) so it is only right that he bring both hobbies together to build his own bass guitar.

As always we have our Show Us series with reader submitted shops, woodworking projects, and carving.

And don’t forget, we’re always accepting submissions for our Show Us series, as well as other woodworking tips and projects ideas. Send your submissions to woodnews@highlandwoodworking.com.