I’ve just completed moving the blog to a new server, this time a Linux server since Wordpress and MySQL were giving me a few problems in the Windows platform they were running on. I guess I was asking for trouble running programs that were originaly written for Unix platform on a Windows server, but I learned my lesson and I’m moving on.

I ran a few tests and everything seems to be working fine, even if you type an old url from my Blogger site you’ll get redirected to the corresponding page in the Wordpress blog.

Please let me know if you notice anything strange with the website, broken links or any other errors.

With the imminent move to the new house I’ve been thinking of a few woodworking projects I’d like to build. Nothing too large since space in the workshop is tight, but I guess a new coffee table would look really good in the new living room.

Being a fan of George Nakashima, I started sketching something with a solid walnut slab for the top. But where can I get such a piece of lumber? Research begun….

One of the first websites I came across was Goby Walnut who sells some of the most incredible walnut slabs I’ve ever seen. Some of the slabs for sale are so large that I guess you could build a twelve seat dining room table from a single slab, take the offcuts and build the coffee table to match.

Call me a city guy, but I had no idea that walnut trees could grow this large!

According to the Wikipedia, walnut trees can grow up to 40 meters tall but I guess the person who wrote that has never seen the one pictured on the right. Without reaching for a ruler, I’d say its probably taller!

This one is probably as high as the apartment builing I used to live in. What’s that guy doing up there?? Is this how they practice bungee jumping in the country side?

French product designer Philippe Starck is well known around the globe for his creations ranging from small objects like toothbrushes and juicers to larger projects like restaurant and hotel interiors.

In this TED talk he spends nearly 18 minutes trying to answer the question “Why design?” reaching for our own roots four billion years ago.

I recomend you switch to full screen and turn the subtitles on.

Enjoy:

• Philippe Starck thinks deep on design

Last month i mentioned that I was in the process of finishing a small desk, and while it is not complete, it has been an excellent learning experience.

To make things more challenging the desk is made of black walnut (legs, aprons, rails and stretchers) and cherry for the top, two species that reacted quite differently to the finishes I chose.

Before you start

With so many finishes to choose from, the amateur woodworker is usually clueless as to where to start, and the usual choice may not be the easier one. When thinking of a finish many will quickly think of varnish and while some of its variants may be easy to apply and yield a great result – think of a wiping oil and varnish mix – other synthetic or acrylic varnishes may prove quite difficult to apply if you’re not prepared.

The first mistake is usualy using the finish straight out of the can. Not only you’re dust and any other small particles to your finish, it is slowly drying and after a while it will feel quite different. What started as a fluid and easy to apply finish may get thicker and more dificult to apply leaving brush marks everywhere.

You should always pour a small ammount of finish to a secondary container and be prepared to add some solvent in order to make it easy to apply and more suited for the job at hand. While you work you may feel the need to add more solvent in order to keep the finish fluid.

Also some finishes should be diluted based on the type of application. Shellac for instance should be well dilluted in the first coats (1 lb cut or less) so it can penetrate the wood whereas the top coats should be thicker (1.5 to 2 lb cut). A water based acrylic varnish on the other hand may only be diluted as far as 10% or it may loose its properties and wont cure properly.

It is important to know the finish you will be using in order to prepare yourself for the application. Some of the questions you should be asking are:

• What solvent should I use?
• How much should I / can I dilute it?
• What should I use to apply it? – brush, rag, spray?
• How long should I wait between coats?
• How long will it take to fully cure?

To be continued….

When working with wood, most projects start by getting all the lumber flat and square, even if in the end the piece will have some curves or other compound shapes. Starting with four square stock is the first step to accurate joinery and makes it easier to draw other shapes since you can reference all the measurements from the straight edges.

After the joinery is cut and maybe you dry fitted everything so you won’t have any surprises in the end, it’s time to start shaping the piece to its final form.

Shaping tools

The first tool I’ll reach will be either a spokeshave or a rasp depending how much wood I need to remove. I don’t like to use coarse rasps since they will often split the wood instead of cutting it so if I need to remove a significant amount of wood the spokeshave will be the tool of choice.

You have two choices when buying a spokeshave, either with a flat bottom or with a round one. The flat bottom model will allow you to shape straight and convex curves while the round bottom variant will come in handy for concave curves.

After the spokeshave its time to get the rasps and files out of your toolbox. In this category there are two tools I’m extremely fond of – my Auriou modeller’s rasp and my Grobet detail file. These two tools work so much better than any of my other rasps and files that I tend to do all the work with them.

The Auriou rasp is 8″ long and has a 14 grain cut which is very fine when you look at it but cuts incredibly fast without tearing all the wood fibers appart and leaving a rough surface, something that will probably happen if you use a coarse tool. The fact that the teeth on the Auriou are hand cut explains why it cuts so well and leave such a nice surface.

The Grobet detail file pictured above is often used by sculptors that work with wax and other soft materials but works very will with wood. It has coarse teeth on one end and finer teeth in the other which makes the tool a joy to use since you can go from coarse to fine in a fraction of a second by flipping the tool in your hand.

It’s also worth mentioning that both ends are tapered and one side is half round while the other is flat which allow you to work on multiple shapes with the same tool.

Taking good care of your rasps and files is important to ensure that they continue to cut well and the teeth don’t get clogged. For this I recomend a small brush with either nylon or natural bristels. Brass or steel brushes will do more arm than good to your tools and the teeth will dull faster.

Both tools and the small brush are available from Tools for Working Wood.

Next installment: Complementary tools

When you change your site structure radically like I did yesterday night – all links changed from static HTML files to dynamic PHP files – there are a few things to consider:

1. Every link on the web will be broken and people wont be able to find the content again on my website;
2. All the indexes on search engines will be broken, i.e. pointing to the non existent files;
3. How fast will the new pages show up in Google search results?

All of the above being a reason to loose popularity and visitors.

With this in mind I tried to make the change as easy as possible to my faithful readers and with a simple script I managed to produce a table mapping all the old website URLs to the new ones. This way I could take care of the two first points above, but what about number three? That one is out of my control!

Surprise, surprise! Less than 24 hours later the new pages are already on the results page, and I didn’t tell Google to re-index my website.

The nice thing about this is that both links will still work and visitors will be happy. Now it’s just a matter of time before the old pages are dropped from Google’s index.

While looking at my website search statistics I noticed something really curious: if you run a search on Google for “chris schwarz blog” my blog will show up in third place! The first and second being Chris’ won blogs.

Check this out:

It has taken me the last few weeks to complete the migration of the website from Blogger to WordPress, and while there are still some adjustments to do, I decided to launch it and start collecting feedback.

Right now, the only change from the old blog is the platform it runs on and the graphic design which I tried to keep simple and clean – there are no distractions, content is king and that’s why you’re here in the first place.

While the Blogger platform is interesting as a startup blog publishing environment, it will soon reveal its limitations to anyone wanting to expand from a simple blog to something more.

And this is where WordPress will win, it is designed as a modular platform that enables you to add plugins to extend its features. With 5787 plugins and 877 themes to choose from, I’m pretty sure that it will cover any feature I may think of.

Drop me a line in the comments section and let me know what you think of the redesign.

I was catching up on my reading and found an odd post written by The Schwarz where he mentioned “a chisel with rasp-like teeth on its shank”. It sounded like a joke to me…

Everyone who’s been reading Chris’ blog for a while knows he’s a funny guy, but he’s also a talented and knowledgeable woodworker, and above all, a professional journalist. So I gave it a second though and realized I wanted to see what that joke of a tool was all about.

A quick Google search and there it was, right on the first page and being sold on Amazon, the Nicholson WoodChuck Chisel Rasp Set! And it looks freaking odd, like someone decided to play with the tool’s DNA and the result wasn’t quite what they expected.

A few questions cross my mind:

• How do you flatten the back of the chisel on your precious stones?
• How to you do a paring cut without denting the surface around?
• Do you hold the tip of the tool while using the rasp? Watch out, it’s the cutting edge!!

The more I think about it the more I want to go to my shop and take some paring shavings with my Japanese chisels and maybe smooth some curves with my Auriou rasp.

Bench planes are without doubt the most used tools on a hand tool shop. You can use them to prepare your rough boards – remove all the cups, bows and twists, plane it down to the thickness you want and smooth the surface in preparation for finishing.

While this task may require various tools like a scrub plane, a jointer, a jack and a smoother, most share the same anatomy.

Take a look at the exploded diagram on the left (click on it for a larger view) and you can get familiar with all the terminology and part names used on a hand plane.

Enjoy:

• Handplane Anatomy

I decided it was time to add a search feature to the blog and after a little research I found that Google provides a couple of widgets you can easily add to any site and make it search enabled within minutes.

The first widget adds the search box which you can place anywhere on all pages of your website while the second is for the results which you’ll add to a single page. It’s better to leave this one in a page on its own since it will take up considerable screen space.

Google offers two versions of the custom search, one that costs $100 per year and a free version where they’ll display some ads on your website.

While at it I also added a few AdSense banners, mostly because I’ve always felt a little curiosity about this advertisement medium and its effectiveness. Now I’ll be able to experience how effective it actually is.

To finish the tweaking session I also changed the blog RSS feed through FeedBurner so I can monitor its the usage statistics. I setup the server to redirect the visitors from the old feed url to the new one but please drop me a line if you stop getting my posts in your feed reader.

While checking out some Lie-Nielsen tools I’ve been considering buying I came across a set of six high quality wallpapers you might like to see on your computer screen.

I particularly enjoy the one above – most probably because it’s black & white and it features the LN smoothing plane that’s been on my wish list for quite some time.

Unfortunately they’re only 1024 x 768 pixels and it looks rather stretched on my screen. Click on the photo to access the other five wallpapers.

It’s been a long time since I last posted in the blog, partly because my day job has been crazy for the last few months and I haven’t felt the energy to publish any relevant content.

Nevertheless I’ve been doing a little woodworking every now and then and recently things started to get better and I’m in the process of finishing a small desk for my daughter. The piece is now assembled and all is left to do is apply a few coats of shellac with some light sanding in between.

I’ll post some photos once it’s finished but before that I’ll try to post a SketchUp model. This time I decided to draw the piece as I went along instead of planning all the details up front which was a very interesting experience.

While the glue in the desk was drying I started working on a small plow plane similar in size to the Veritas model. I’ve ordered some of the blades offered for the Veritas plane which can be bought both in imperial and metric sizes.

This one isn’t going to be a work of art full of brass knobs, exotic woods and moldings in the body and fence like the ones made by DL Barrett & Sons. I’m using some cherry, walnut and a few small pieces of hard maple and ebony – all from the scraps bin.

These days, excellent craftsmanship isn’t all that is required to become a successful woodworker. You must show lots of creativity in order to stand out from the crowd in a very competitive market.

In this manifest Hugh MacLeod gives his 26 tried-and-true tips for being truly creative.

Enjoy:

• How To Be Creative – by Hugh MacLeod

When it comes to information on vintage woodworking handtools there are three websites that pop right out of the top of my head.

For Stanley handplanes there is The Superior Works: Patrick’s Blood and Gore, where you’ll find all the information you’ll ever need on these classic tools.

The next time someone refers to one of Stanley’s handplanes by their funny numbers you’ll know exactly what they’re talking about.

Next on the list is The Disstonian Institute, which has the name implies will provide you with lot’s of information on Disston handsaws.

Last (but not least) on my list is A Millers Falls Home Page which contains a wealth of information on Millers Falls handplanes, hand drills and bit braces.

Happy reading!

It’s a known fact that these days there are a lot of handtool makers producing outstanding tools, tools that improve on the vintage ones they’re based on.

You can no longer say that if you want a good western style chisel you need to get yourself a used Stanley n.750 and restore it to good working condition.

You have manufacturers like Lie-Nielsen that offer a set chisels based on the 750’s and through the use of better raw materials and manufacturing techniques produce a tool that’s even better that the original.

But how much are some people willing to pay for these tools?

Recently I was watching a few items on eBay and when the auctions ended I was quite impressed! But maybe not for the right reasons.

One Lie-Nielsen 102 (bronze low angle block plane) sold for $100.99. That is over the retail price and well over the $87 that is advertised in the Fine Tools Journal website. I wonder why would anyone pay over retail price for a used tool….

Two other interesting auctions were for vintage Stanley n.750 chisels which sold for $47 and $51 each, quite close to the retail price of a brand new Lie-Nielsen which sells for $50.

Would you rather buy a rusty vintage tool than a brand new one that happens to be even better. Let me know what you think in the comments section….

Another interesting fact is that Wenzloff & Sons are no longer taking orders for custom made saws as of August 4, 2008. According to Mike Wenzloff the waiting list for direct orders is well over 4000 saws.

They may resume taking direct orders in the future once they manage to clear the waiting list and there will be a revision of the prices. As it is right now, a custom made dovetail saw would cost you the same as one sold through Lee Valley and when you order directly from Mike you can specify all the details, from the wood species of the handle to how you’d like the teeth sharpened.

I am on that waiting list since February for two handsaws and it looks like it’s getting close to my place on the list. How close? Mike said 2-3 weeks some 3 weeks ago. I guess he’s probably shaping the handles on my saws right now…. I’ll post some photos when they arrive.

A last note on the subject of quality tools is the recent announcement that Stanley will be offering a line of handplanes that will be able to compete with the likes of Lie-Nielsen and Veritas, although the prices published by The Schwarz on his blog are quite lower that the competition.

Further reading:

• Lie-Nielsen Chisels: Better Than Vintage – by The Schwarz
• Premium Dovetail Saws – by The Schwarz
• Wenzloff & Sons – Custom Made Saws

It has just arrived in the mail today, my “new” Millers Falls No. 2 eggbeater drill.

I ordered this tool a few weeks ago and I was a little curious about the quality. Sure it looked good in the photos on the eBay auction and the seller had a good feedback, but even then I wasn’t sure if it would look as good as in the photos. And more important – would it work well?

Then The Schwarz happened to write about a similar hand drill he received from Wiktor Kuc, fully restored, gorgeous and ready to work. I got even more impatient… My package was getting ages to arrive.

Now that it’s arrived, all I can say is that this drill looks and feels as good as new, if not better, since every piece on it has been subject to careful inspection.

And yes, it works beautifully!

Here is another great article by John Bullar, once again featuring fantastic joinery.

These twisted dovetails (or nejiri arigata in Japanese) will give any piece an exquisite handmade look.

And not only these dovetails look great, they will handle pulling forces both sideways and lengthways.

Correy Smith, a regular at the Japanese Woodworking Forums published some great photos of his latest project – a “Quasi DownEast Chinese Tansu”.

This piece features exquisite exposed joinery that take the build to a higher level of craftsmanship. The three way miter is one of my favorites on this piece.

Enjoy….

• Butternut Cabinet – joinery samples

Handplanes are often associated with a high level of craftsmanship, smooth surfaces and beautiful curly shavings.

Handplanes

Choosing the first handplane may not be an easy task, there are many models to choose from and while each one has it’s funcion, some of them are quite versatile and can be used for various tasks.

When looking for handplanes, some advocate that old is better and that you should get a Stanley or other antique brand name from a local flea market. I don’t agree, specially if this is your first handplane.

A vintage tool will require some restoration and tuning before it will perform well enough to compete with the tools produced these days – significant tuning if you want it to perform as well as the top brand names like Veritas and Lie-Nielsen. This is not impossible, but you really need to know what you’re doing.

If you’ve never used a well tuned handplane before, how will you know how it is supposed to perform if you’re buying a second hand vintage tool? This is why I recomend that for your first handplane you should buy the best tool you can afford.

Quality handplanes sold these days can use some tuning and they’ll perform even better, but out of the box they can perform quite well. Sharpen and hone the iron and you’re good to go.

But which ones should I get?

I would say you’ll need three planes in your basic set: a low angle block plane, a low angle jack plane and a large shoulder plane.

Here are my reasons:

The low angle block plane, preferably with an adjustable mouth, can be used on end-grain and face grain, you can use it as a small smoother to handle difficult grain by changing the bevel angle on the blade and it’s a very handy plane when working with small pieces for small projects.

The low angle jack plane can be a really versatile tool. It can be used as a small jointer to flatten a small board and by closing the mouth and setting the blade for a fine shaving it can be used as a smoother. It won’t replace a full size jointer or a smaller smoothing plane, but as a first handplane it will be a tool that will accomplish many tasks.

The shoulder plane will be useful to adjust tenons, rabbets, and whenever you need the blade to extend all the way across the sole of the plane so you can reach a tight corner. This will be the third plane to get.

From here I would say you should get a dedicated smoother, a jointer plane and then you can dive into specialty planes like the router plane. Or you can start to make your won wooden planes.

Next installment: Shaping tools

When you buy a brand new Japanese chisel there is some work to do before it can be used.

Like with western chisels, the back of the blade must be flattened and polished to a mirror finish and it has to be sharpened to a very fine edge.

With Japanese chisels however, the tool is not ready to be used, the hoop on the top of the handle must be permanently set.

Here’s how:

• http://www2.woodcraft.com/pdf/77B66.pdf
• http://www.imcclains.com[...]JapaneseChisels.pdf
• http://japanwoodworker.[...]instructions.pdf

This may seem like a lot of extra work, but I guarantee you that it will be quite rewarding. There is nothing more satisfying than working with a sharp tool that is properly tuned.