Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal is a digital newsletter published by MWTco. Subscriptions are free.
EDITOR:
James Hamilton
ASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR:
Amy Hamilton
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:
Mike Hamilton
Matthew Murray
OTHER CONTRIBUTERS:
INQUIRIES:
support@stumpynubs.com
Copyright 2012-2016 MWTco
Special Tool Discounts for Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal Readers!
Coupons change weekly. Check this spot often!
SUBSCRIBE FREE TODAY! New issues are published monthly and include content that isn't available on our YouTube channel. Email subscribers are also entered in our regular tool giveaways.
SKILL BUILDER:
Table Saw
Double-Bridle Joint
Learn to cut a very strong and attractive joint, while honing your table saw skills, which can later be used for countless other tasks!
This joint doesn't require our fancy incremental tenon jig, but it sure is nice!
Using Marking Gauges
Last month you learned how to make your own marking gauges. Now learn how to use them! This video contains an old segment called "Pappy Nubs Tool Chest," which discusses the types of gauges out there, and gives you some tips to help you use them effectively.
NEW: X-Y Drill Press Table
Take your drill press to new levels of productivity with this innovative, homemade table. It's loaded with features, from integrated dust collection, a quick-remove fence, low profile bit storage, and more. But the most impressive feature is the X-Y sliding table mechanism. In the video below you'll see just come of the way such a feature can change the way you work, and with time you are sure to think of all sorts of other uses!
FLASHBACK:
Making Marking Gauges
Just in case you missed it last month, here's the video about how to make your own marking gauges.
Episode#46- SPECIAL EDITION: Tool show-and-tell. Take a look at some great tools and some workshop wearables!
Episode#45- What cameras do we use for our YouTube videos? Should you use a DSLR or a Camcorder?
Episode#44- We wrap-up October with the latest woodworking news with snarky comments!
Episode#43- SPECIAL EDITION: Tool show-and-tell. Take a look at four great tools you may have never seen before!
JUST FOR FUN
Something to think about while the glue dries...
(Quotes, thoughts and funny sayings collected from the all over the internet, and from the mind of Stumpy Nubs)
If you're not using Social Media to spout your uninformed opinion then you're totally missing the point of the Internet.
I start a lot of conversations with "goodbye" in hopes that I trick people into thinking we already talked.
"Wow! Go show your mommy!" -what I say to any child talking to me for more than 11 seconds.
Bullcrap this steak's rare. They have it at like every restaurant!
Paper is supposed to beat rock. But last time I wrapped a rock in newspaper and threw it at someone...it was the rock they were mad about.
I just read that the average person spends 2 weeks waiting for a traffic light to change. Forget that. I'd run it after 3 or 4 minutes tops.
I just saved 57 dollars on my groceries without a single coupon. Self checkouts are awesome.
String theory? It's more than just a theory, dude. String is real.
Selling chewing gum. Mint condition.
Hundreds more here...
Eagle Folk-Art Carving
This fun little video demonstrates the power-carving of an eagle. But not just any eagle, this is a reproduction of a very old piece of folk art found in an antique sale. It's a piece of history! (It was also our fist experience with the Arbortech Mini-Grinder. See how it turned out!)
Q & A
Q- I bough some kiln-dried oak from a dealer that was already milled flat and straight, with no visible defects. But when I ripped it into narrower boards, they warped and twisted. What happened?
A- Your wood was likely "case hardened." This can happen when it isn't dried properly. A simple way to explain it is, when the outside wood fibers dry (and therefore shrink) at a much faster rate than the inner fibers, tension is created. That tension may be held in check by those outer fibers- until you cut into the board. The tension is then released, and the board warps. This is considered a serious defect, and cause for returning the material to the dealer or mill. A good mill will steam their boards at the end of the drying process to minimize this effect.
How can you determine if a board is "case hardened?" Unfortunately you can't tell just by looking at it. You have to do a test. Starting from about 2" from the end of the board, crosscut three or four 1" pieces. Then, lay those pieces so that one of the fresh cut end-grain faces is facing up, and cut a couple of kerfs into the end, like you are making tines on a fork or comb. If the "tines" quickly bend inward, closing the kerfs, the wood is case hardened.
For a more detailed discussion, including drawings to illustrate the above process, download this document from the US Forestry Service (PDF File)
Q- I've heard that some turners make their own scrapers from old, metal files. Is this safe?
A- Many wood turners have made their own tools over the years, either to save money, or because they required something that wasn't available to them commercially. Old files have long been a popular source of tool steel because used ones are cheap and abundant. But some caution should be used.
Files are very hard and older examples can be brittle when compared to the sort of steel that turning tools are usually made from. So it is a good idea to avoid overextending a tool made from a file past your lathe's tool rest. Less than in inch of overhang is preferable. Also, avoid using file stock that is too thin. Look for heavy duty examples that are 1/4" thick or more. Lathe tools take a beating. You don't your homemade scraper to shatter, possibly becoming a dangerous projectile.
(Have a question you'd like answered? Send us an email. We may answer it in a future edition of this column, or we may even include it in one of our Q&A editions of Behind the Sawdust!)
Mustache Mike Classic Episode:
Scroll Saw Blades
This classic episode from the old "Mustache Mike's Corner" web series takes a look at scroll saw blade types and a whole lot more!
Watch past MMC episodes here...
CONTRIBUTED:
Make A Bowl With
A Router
Brian from Garage Woodworks shows you how to make a bowl without a lathe or fancy jigs. All it requires is a simple router bit and a little creativity!
Watch past MMC episodes here...
ON THE BENCH:
Table Saw Sled
Dovetail Jig
Our MEGA SLED was designed to work with all sorts of joinery attachments, and we're working on more as we speak! This one is actually a pair of jigs designed to cut through-dovetails that look as if they were made by hand. COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE of Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal!
Check out our other project plans here...
CONTRIBUTED:
Tree-Leg Sawhorses
Izzy Swan makes a convincing argument for his 3-leg sawhorse design. In fact, this may be one of the most cleverly simple ideas I've seen in a while!
Visit Izzy Swan's site here...
FLASHBACK:
Bench-Top Jig Saw
This is one handy tool! Based on the popular Rockwell BladeRunner saw that has been on the market for several years, this homemade version will do all sorts of tasks that you may have never known you needed before! It is especially useful for creating cutouts in the center of workpieces where a band saw can't go!
Get project plans here...
Get more tips here...
A Pro Reviews Woodcraft's Saw Blade Sharpening Mail-Order Service- Is It Any Good?
Visit Charles Neil's YouTube Channel...
Spring Clamp Belt
Make a handy "rack" for your spring clamps using you old leather belts.
Reduce Band Saw Blade Drift
A handy technique for keeping your blade cutting straight when re-sawing.
Sanding Support
How to keep from rounding over the edges of your workpieces while using an electric sander.
Chuck-Key Keeper
A handy way to store your drill press chuck key (and some other small accessories too!)
Fix Miters and Bevels
A quick and easy way to fix gaps in your mitered corners.
Replacement Glue Bottle Caps
Learn how to use wire nuts as cheap (and abundant) replacements for your missing glue bottle caps.
CONTRIBUTED:
Make A Bluetooth
Speaker
Nobody can tell a story with video like Linn from the Darban Orvar YouTube channel. Even if I'm not going to make the project, I still love to watch her videos! That said, this is one great project in and of itself!
November's Cool Tools
Please use these affiliate links as a way of supporting us!
- Bench Dogs Push Block
- Mini Push Stick
- Magnetic Push Stick
- Central Machinery Drill Press
- Wrangler RIGGS Workwear
Sharpen Your Own Forstner Bits!
Learn how to quickly and easily sharpen all sorts of different forstner bits with a simple diamond hone.
(We'll be showing how to sharpen a new tool each month using this diamond kit from Trend.)
Learn Sketchup AND Cabinet Design at the Same Time!
We review Robert Lang's new multimedia book that's causing quite a stir in the woodworking world!
The Stanley #1 Mystery
The smallest of Stanley's bench planes has been a subject of debate for decades. What were they used for, and why are they so rare today?
Visit the Darbin Orvar channel here...
FROM THE WEB:
Handmade Tool Miniatures
Art Rafael doesn't make many videos, but he does have a unique skill. He makes mineatures, including tiny tools. He even casts the metal parts himself using a lost-wax process. This facinating little video shows off some of his creations! (997s/763v)
Visit Art's YouTube channel here...
FROM THE WEB:
James Krenov
Fine Woodworking's Jon Binzen was fortunate enough to sit down with one of the legends of our craft several years ago, before Krenov's death. Hear the master talk about his start in woodworking, his philosophy, and how it changed woodworking for a generation of craftspeople.
Blue Collar Woodworking, Stumpy Nubs and Mustache Mike are trademarks of Midwestern Trading Company, Michigan, USA
Copyright 2013-2016 MWTco