News of the weird

Is it just my imagination, or is the news full of weird stuff going on? It seems like every time I go to my computer or open a newspaper, I'm bombarded with really odd stories. 

Here are the top six that I read this week, click on the link to read each bizarre story!

Burro wanders onto road, causes several wrecks

(This was here in Las vegas, no less!)

Atomic wedgie?  

Can this really kill someone?

Bear invades ski slope

Hours-long orgasm sent Seattle-area woman to emergency room

Did you see the video of the cursing toddler?

And my favorite...

Pimp sues Nike

Have any weird stores to share?

Interesting map of the US....

With apologies to all of my friends back east, it was such a nice day here today that I worked in the garden. I had every intention of posting something wood related today, but instead I found myself trimming yuccas, 

cacti

 and cutting back mint. 

So.... no wood posts today. 

But I did want to share something interesting - A website named Pleated Jeans posted this map of the United States which lists what each state is the "worst" at. My first thought for Nevada was schools. Our schools are terrible here, but apparently crime is even worse than that. 

What's your state the worst at?

Some interesting things to note....  it's a given that California might be worst at air pollution, and Hawaii has the worst cost-of-living. 

But who knew that porn usage was bad in Utah? 

That gave me a good laugh!

Changing planer blades....Priceless

Why does it always seems easier to do things at the beginning of the year? 

Like New Year's resolutions?  God knows you could vow to lose weight, or quit smoking, or start working out, or start writing that book you've always wanted to write at any time of year. But it always seems easier to do it in January.

That's why it always seems best to do some routine maintenance in the woodshop in January. I usually have a break between my classes, and it's a good time to tear the machines apart and change out parts. It always feels like I'm ass-up-in-the-air, covered-in-sawdust, and this week - that was true.

Of course it helps to have three excellent and sharp saw blades on hand, as well as a new set of planer and jointer blades. 

My buddy Richard told me about a company that carries high-speed steel knives, so I ordered a set for the planer and the jointer.

 It's really nice to have a spare set on hand, so I don't have any downtime waiting for blades to be sharpened.

I loveLoveLOVE this Bridgewood planer - 

I've had her for 20 years, and she's solid and strong. The first time I changed the blades on her, it felt like it took forever, but I decided to time myself this time. I actually blogged about this five years ago - much more in-depth, so if you want to read that post, you can click here. 

My other buddy Big John knows that my eyes are crappy, and he was kind enough to gift me this little flashlight. He felt sorry for me because flashlight I usually use in the shop is two feet long and weighs 20 pounds.  So he gave me the stubby one, which I love.

(Thanks again, John!)

The first task was cleaning the blades, they're covered with an anti-corrosion substance.  

Lacquer thinner usually does the trick.

Then it's a matter of loosening all these gib screws, there are about a dozen per blade.

 It's really easy, and in minutes, 

 the gib bar pops out.

Now is the time to do a little cleaning, I blew out everything with compressed air, and wiped everything down.  I'd forgotten that there were two small springs in there, and luckily - I didn't blow them across the shop and lose them!

There's a nifty little tool that came with the planer for setting the height of the blades. Once you get the sharp blade back in place, to place this over the blade to set the proper height. Since the device is metal, I have to be a little careful to keep from dinging the blade. 

With one blade switched out, I checked my stopwatch. 

Here's the time after the second blade, 

 and - in total - the complete job took this long.

 

Bridgewood planer: $3500 (1994 price)

New blades: $90

Spending 42 minutes changing blades so that your wood comes out silky smooth: priceless

Hiding in the springs

No doubt, everyone has found something odd within the cushions of their couch. Money? A pocket knife? A dog toy? Silverware? Random remnants of food? Some of the things you find are great, but some are really weird. This falls into the second category.

As if you need another reason not to bring someone else's furniture into your home...

Let's wrap up this year....

This year has been terrific. Oh, don't get me wrong - we had some hard times, especially with the fire on Mt. Charleston. 



Anyone with breathing problems probably had some issues while the fire was raging.



 But we got through it OK, and we were lucky. 




All in all, everyone I've spoken with about 2013 seems to share the same sentiment -- it was a pretty good year. I hope you can say the same about yours. 

As someone once said – it takes a village. And I couldn't have run the school without the help of many, many people in my life. I'd like to thank some of the people who have contributed their energy and creativity thoughout the year - in many ways, large and small. 

Eric volunteers at the shop on the weekends, and is my right hand dude. He's a huge help in keeping the woodshop in shape - from performing maintenance on the tools, like changing blades and belts and whatever else pops up. 

He has a serious case of "lathe bug" right now, so when he's finished with his work around the shop, you'll find him on a lathe, making bowls. 

There is a core of woodworkers who come to the shop almost every weekend, producing amazing work. But often - they simply work on perfecting their technique. You'll find Ann turning bowls or practicing her sharpening skills of lathe tools. 

Lupe is usually juggling a few different pieces at once. Why is it that the smallest people build the largest pieces?  

Here is her walnut bookcase, completed and in place. Wow. The finish on this has to be felt to truly be appreciated!

Lupe's energy and good attitude around the shop is so appreciated - she always has a kind word for other people's work, and is a willing hand when they need a little extra muscle. A Saturday at the shop wouldn't be complete without us sharing a beer together at the end of the day.

Kris builds amazing mixed media furniture.  

You'll find metal, fabric, wire, ceramic and glass added into her creations. She also makes amazing jewelry, like this pendant she made for me, with my beloved's muzzle on it. I can't wait until she opens an Etsy shop!

Her dad visits us from time to time, and has become our shop mascot and cheerleader. 

Chris T made some amazing pieces this year, and we're so proud that he was accepted into Columbia's Masters of Architecture program. I suspect he's kicking ass there.

There are so many more people to thank - and I hope I don't forget everyone who has helped me on this journey. 

My next-door neighbor, Danny, is a friend and pseudo-brother! 

 He's always helping me out by signing for deliveries when I'm not around, or emptying my heavy trash cans, or dragging out a board from his inventory that I might need to complete an order I'm building. Helpful suggestions? He's full of them!  We commiserate and kvetch over coffee, and I really do think we're possibly siblings from different mothers. 

Speaking of coffee, Beth treated the shop to a wonderful Keurig coffee maker system this year. She keeps us stocked with cups, creamer, K cups, and much more. She knows the way to our hearts! She's become a regular on the weekends, building amazing pieces. She started out making small projects like these, 

and has graduated to this: 

Finally, I know there are a lot of people I am forgetting...

Special thanks goes to Nancy and Mel for their generosity throughout the year. And to both John F's - I love your energy and enthusiasm for woodworking! Margaret - thanks for being my (not-so) secret angel. And to Dennis and John E - thanks for teaching classes at the school and sharing your wonderful talents with us. Andrew F - your help with that legal stuff earlier this year was such a relief - thanks so much for making that experience mostly stress free! Cheryl & Judy - thanks for the logs, and the beer and the cutting board madness!

Let's not forget the members of Sin City Woodworkers, who meet once a month at my shop - thanks for your support and participation in our group. We've been meeting for five years now, and it's one of the coolest things a woodworker can do in Las Vegas. (You can join here!)

Here's my year-end wrapup slideshow. I try to take a picture of every single person who takes a class - and hopefully I have captured everyone here. My apologies if I have missed you - come back to the shop and let me shoot a photo! I thank you all for your support. I hope you've learned as much from me as I have from you. 

Happy New Year!

Catching a woodworking bug....

It started with this picture.  

A student of mine sent this photo to me, and said she wanted to make a table base similar to this design. It was going to be her first large piece - and I thought I'd share the process with you. It's nothing short of amazing. 

Since the top was wider than 24 inches (the width of my planer),  it had to be glued together in several steps. 

She used 8/4 lumber (that's two inches thick, for you non-woodworkers!) African mahogany. It is quite heavy, and just planing the top sections was quite a chore!

I didn't get photos while she was making the base, but it went together relatively easily, using two inch-thick poplar.  She kept hopping back and forth between sanding the top and working on the base. Here - she's getting some help placing the top on the base. 

It's a beast!

She used an ebony stain on the poplar base; it's a stunning combination. 

The top alone probably took 12-15 hours to make, at least half of that in sanding alone.  But when she applied the oil, all of the hard work paid off.

This tabletop seems to glow from within. 

And here it is, finished and assembled. She chose to oil the top, let it cure, and then apply a few coats of a wipe-on poly, for more protection. The result is crazy-beautiful! 

She made this for her daughter, so it's going to be shipped across the country. This piece is so well-made, and so sturdy, but I suspect it will be around for a long, long time. Imagine someday that her great-grandchildren might be dining on this table. It's kind of mind-boggling!

People ask me if I get bored with teaching.... are you kidding me? Projects like this one keep me excited about it! It's a rush to watch someone complete a piece like this; I'm not quite sure how to explain it. 

Right now - in the shop - there are many more heirloom quality pieces being built. Like an amazing rocking chair that one fellow is making for his daughter. 

Or - this Cherry chest of drawers, 

which one student undertook, just become familiar with working with plywood. 

These are just a few of the projects that you might see if you stopped by the school - if you're in the neighborhood, feel free to come in and see what we're building. 

Be careful - you might catch a woodworking bug....