Spring has sprung...summer is on the way...

The only constant in the woodshop is that people will hit me up for some of the most unique requests, from repurposing old furniture into something new, to working on their kid's school projects. I've been getting a few calls about Pinewood Derby cars - something I worked on a few years ago.

I still have mixed feelings about working on some kid's pinewood derby car, 

but as the comment at the bottom states - at least that mother was taking an active part in her child's life. If she couldn't build the car, at least she could find someone who could.

 So lately - I've been getting a ton of calls to work on student's school projects. A recent one involved the state of Nevada, and making a puzzle with all of the counties cut out. It was relatively easy to find the clip art on Google images. 

And of course - having a Glowforge laser makes easy work of cutting everything. 

The "trace" function allows me to scan the image, and click on the parts I want to cut out. 

Seriously, it couldn't be more simple. 

After adding a solid sheet behind this cut-out piece, it's easy to create a puzzle.

It's so easy, I made two... one for the student, and one for me!

The more I play with this, the more I learn what it can do... it's a totally awesome machine!  I'm working on a few corporate gifts using the Glowforge, I'll try to post some pictures of upcoming projects, but honestly - these products fly out of my shop as soon as I make them!

On a totally unrelated note, an aunt of mine passed away this week. Two things stand out in my mind about her - she was the very first person I ever knew who had air conditioning, so visiting her house was aways a cool treat.  

Even better - she took me to my very first concert - guess who we saw? 

RIP Aunt Jean - thanks for the concert!

Skysurfing? Ummm.... no thank you

We've all done some things in our lives that we would take back, right? 

 In my last year of college, I went skydiving with a group of co-workers. We spent a day in classes, learning how to do it properly, and how to deal with problems, should they arise. My buddies didn't look too thrilled about it, but I seemed happy at the time. 

As the day ended, the sky clouded over, and we had to abandon the idea of jumping that day. The next morning, we went back for our first jump.

I've run through this scenario in my head so many times, I can still recall the details - my chute malfunctioned and I'm lucky to be alive. Here I am, a speck in the sky, after I got the chute straightened out. 

That training the day before saved my life. I landed near a corn field about a mile from where I should have landed, 

took my chute off, and decided it wasn't for me.  

It was life changing - I lost all desire for thrill seeking - no more roller coasters, no bungee jumping, no zip lining, no scuba diving, no para gliding, no wind surfing, no rock climbing... I don't even like ferris wheels. Or elevators with glass sides.

A customer recently stopped by my shop, and explained that he was a sky surfer. 

I'd never heard of it, but he was trying to make a surfboard, and brought in a piece of aircraft plywood...

 I didn't even know there was such a thing, and apparently the sport has mostly died out. Sky boards are mostly unavailable, and it's hard to even find a used one to copy.  I pictured a bunch of guys in their garages, making boards from low quality plywood from the big box stores... a recipe for disaster! I could picture the wood delaminating at high speed, or worse....

He and I have been working on some prototypes of boards, with the hope of producing some safe, aerodynamic samples with which he can experiment. This was our first version, 

but the second and third have better bindings and a different footprint.

 If I'm lucky, I'll get a photo of these boards in use.... but I won't be taking the pictures, trust me.  

Want to read more?

Click here: Skysurfing

Looking for carving wood?

Anyone looking for carving wood? 

Utah wood dealer Jim Grace will be heading back to Las Vegas with a trailer full of wood, and will be selling it at Wood It Is on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 AM.  

Jim is planning on bringing 4/4, 8/4 and 10/4 cherry, walnut, ash, butternut, white oak, eastern red cedar and hard maple.  Some of the slabs will be with natural edge.  He’ll also bring a large selection of basswood and butternut in sizes from 1" to 4" thick… so carvers - start planning your next work of art! 

The address is 2267 W. Gowan, in North Las Vegas.

It's been a minute...

Do you remember a while ago when the crew and host of Handcrafted America stopped by my shop, filming as I built one of my tiled filing cabinet benches? 

Having makeup applied is harder than building furniture, in my mind.

The show was a blast to film, and screwing around with everyone afterwards was truly memorable.

 One of the producers of the show sent me an email today, saying that all three seasons of Handcrafted America are now available on Amazon Prime, so if you're a Prime member, you can catch up on all the old episodes featuring artists around the country. 

Here's a link to the show that featured me and a few other Las Vegas craftsman. 

Amazon Prime member? Click here!

Enjoy!

Burn, baby, burn...

Well, this is exciting! The upcoming Sin City Woodworkers meeting, which will be held February 20 at my school, will feature a demo on fractal burning.  

Don't know what that is? 

Here's a preview...  

Oh, by the way, it's the ten year anniversary of our woodworking group and we have a little surprise in store... congrats to us!

The very human art of fine woodworking...

If you looked on my nightstand, you'd see a pile of books waiting to be read. 

There's never enough time to get to them, other than vacation, and that's not happening anytime soon. 

This one is one of my favorites - 

The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking by James Krenov

I've probably bought this book more than a dozen times - as gifts for people who are just starting their wood journey, or to replace the copies I've loaned and never had returned. 

Someone sent me a link to this video, and it motivated me to pick up the book again. If you have a copy in your bookshelf, I highly recommend revisiting it.

Enjoy!

Enjoy this amazing video....

Besides being one of the coolest places in our country to vacation, Las Vegas is home to Nellis AFB, as well was being a top choice for conventions.  And that means several times a year,  I get slammed with quick projects - people needing last minute displays, crates, awards.... you name it, I've been asked to build it. 

So that's where I've been. In case you wondered. 

Until I get back to regular blogging schedule,  enjoy this amazing video. I know I did!

The top tools of the year!

It's time for our list of the top three tools that we used last year... and will get a TON of usage in the future.

No doubt, we make a ton of boxes at the shop.  At least a few hundred a year... everyone loves boxes! 

But my old Jorgensen band clamps were feeling their age...  the straps were wearing out and the ratchets were tired. I can't complain; over the years, they've clamped thousands of boxes. 

Luckily, Jorgensen stepped in to help us out, sending dozens of new clamps to test.  

This new design has an integrated wrench, so there isn't a need to go searching for one when it's time to tighten it.

 Brilliant!  These have been a much needed - AND IMPROVED - addition to the shop, and makes it one of the top new products of 2018, in my book.   

Here's a link to check them out, but Amazon has been out of them for a bit... add them to your wish list. Trust me on this. 

The next top rated tools of 2018 aren't necessarily new products, but frankly - two of the most useful items we have in the shop. Bar none.

Seriously, if you don't have these in your shop, you might be doing sloppy work.

The iGaging Angle Cube and its counterpart - the iGaging digital protractor are without a doubt - game changers for your woodworking. Being off just a half degree on your saw cut can throw a whole project off. And there's no need to be inaccurate anymore. Not only do these get used on a daily basis, they get used hourly, double-checking all of the tools in the shop.  

If you want to up your game in the woodshop, accuracy is #1. 

Buy these. 

And finally - 

This is truly a game changer in my world - the most amazing laser engraver on the planet- the Glowforge. Glowforge started as an idea and a Kickstarter campaign, so early investors had an opportunity to buy one at a discount, and receive future discounts on materials and products. It took a while to receive mine (and I'm still waiting for the filter that will mount under it, which will make indoor usage completely simple) but this machine is simply mind blowing.

Where do I start?

If you want to engrave something, this machine will do it. You can use their materials (called Proofgrade materials) so that all of the guesswork is taken away; just drop a sheet inside the bed of the machine, upload your design and press a button. 

When your box is delivered, you'll be printing within an hour. The set-up is easy, but one thing of note - you MUST have an internet connection to run this. 

There are two things you'll cut right away, to see if you're doing it right. You'll have this ruler in no time, 

and this Gift of Good Measure keychain, which every Glowforge owner has made numerous times. (Everybody wants one!) 

This Good Measure keychain gave me a great idea when I was approached about making some knitting guides for a local knit shop. 

Once you've purchase a Glowforge, you'll have access to tons of shared designs, like these Marvel coasters, 

and puzzles, 

sports memorabilia, and more. 

Here are a couple of simple engravings I've done for friends -  cutting boards for music lovers, 

and this Man Cave sign.  Here were a couple of designs, 

and the final product. 

A customer requested that I add a little bit of artwork to the back of a rocking chair I was building - we decided on this clipart, 

here's the back rail of the chair. 

Here's an urn for an art teacher, designed to resemble a box of crayons.

This was one of her favorite sayings.

How easy is it to use? 

I took this clipart, imported it, and...

printed 1000 divot repair tools.  Took about 3 minutes each.

One of my favorites...

This was my entry into the Christmas Ornament contest - a sweet little star for my tree. 

Any limitations? Honestly, I think your only limitation is your imagination - if you can dream up something, you can probably cut it on this machine. 

Here's another great piece - a hanging lamp... I've gotten some great comments about this one, and when the lamp is turned on, the wood glows. It's awesome!

I'm working on some fun recipe boxes, with this artwork lasered on the top... 

Interested?  Here's a link to read more...  

I'm not sure there's a better phrase than "game changer" for this machine.  If you're making custom artwork, you need this tool. 

That wraps up my favorite three tools for last year - I've used them so many times, they're like old friends.  

Looking to up your game?... you know what you need to do....