The problem with not measuring correctly

Teaching a table class might be one of my favorite things to do - Table Making gives students a variety of skills to master, and let's face it - everyone can use another table in their home. 

So this month's Table class is filled with absolute beginners, and we're starting off with simple designs - meant to develop skills like proper design, precision cutting on the tablesaw, gluing and clamping to ensure squareness, and most of all, accurate measuring.

I love this group - they're energetic and fun, 

and they love everything about woodworking. The energy they've put into their tables is remarkable. 

One student had a little trouble with her measurements - so her table base came out a tad longer than her top. (That's why we measure twice! and cut once!) 

But it's nothing we can't fix... which is another reason to love wood. 

This month's mitzvah

Don't ask where I've been - it's too complicated to go into... 

In addition to some traveling and teaching, I've spent some time giving (woodworking) back to this town, in a variety of small ways. 

Like this mitzvah...

 I was contacted by a fellow who explained he was a bit down on his luck, but felt he might be able to right his ship if he had a way to make a living, by shining shoes. All he needed was a shoeshine box.

If you Google "shoeshine box" - you'll get about 9,400,000 results in 0.51 seconds. I liked this design the best.

To be truthful, I get hit up all the time for donations and "volunteering" queries, but most of the time, they're not legit.  Something about this guy hit me in the gut; he was polite and honest, and just needed a woodworking favor. And for once, it was actually something simple that I could do. 

He and I collaborated on a design, and I built it in an afternoon.

 Hopefully, he's out there making a living, giving some great shines to shoes around Vegas!

Meanwhile, I have a few challenging commissions coming up. As Arnold says - I'll be back...

Happy Birthday, Jimmy Carter

Tried to post this yesterday, on his actual birthday, but Blogger wouldn’t let me! So here it is, a day late (with apologies).

He is one of my favorite woodworkers, and a role model for many.  

Boys and their toys...

Here is a quick follow-up on that massively thick table top that I made last week. As requested,  the top was a ridiculous three inch thickness, and weighed 65 pounds. 

A little overkill, but hey - if a customer requests it, I build it. 

After finding the center and laying out a circle, I mounted the legs. 

Jeez, if you thought the table top was big, these legs make that look tiny in comparison. Made of 3/8 inch plate steel, each leg weighed 24 pounds. They slante out at 10 degrees, and the top bolts were countersunk, so that the top was flat. 

And ready for weaponry! 

BTW, that curved cut-out in the corner is where the shooter sits. 

 This table was so heavy, we had to disassemble it to get it home, but that is when the fun began!  Here is the weapon as it is supposed to sit - propped up with a sandbag in front, and   whatever-the-thing-is in back. 

Can you tell I am not a shooter?

 This table is making one marksman in town a very happy fellow tonight, 

and I am just happy I don't have to move this table around anymore!

Veritas Beam Compass... what a gem to own!

Before last week, I'd never heard of a shooting table. But when a customer requested a beefy one, and I read a little more about it, I took on the job of making one from solid Baltic Birch plywood. Three solid inches of plywood! 

This thing is a beast!

After making the blank, I needed to mount some custom made metal legs - speaking of beasts, these legs weigh 25 pounds a piece, and are welded from 1/2" steel stock. 

Ri-donk-culous!

We used three legs instead of four, so that the table would sit without rocking wherever it might be placed. For stability, I needed to mount the legs equidistantly from the center, so my next step was to draw a large circle on the plywood top. Finding the center was easy - draw lines from corner to corner and their intersection is the middle. While I was at at it, I drew some lines at 120˚ intervals, making the position of each leg.

Last step? Draw a big circle using that counterpoint. But since it was pretty large, and the compasses around the shop were much smaller, I needed a device for drawing larger circle.... hmmm.....

Enter my Veritas Beam compass. 

To be truthful, this hangs on a peg most of the year, but when I need it - there's no better way of drawing circles. 

 It consists of four parts,  

and once they're attached to a long 3/4" piece of scrap wood,

 you have a large compass at your disposal. 

 Put the pin end in the counterpoint, and move the other end to the radius that you want. 

It's the most low tech, yet effective system there is! 

I'll tell you this - I don't use it often, but there's NO better way to draw large circles.

Woodworking can change the world... a high school shop class made urns for the ashes of unclaimed veterans.

Remember that old Crosby, Stills and Nash song... we can change the world? 

Here's a link to sing along, and I'll warn you - once this song gets in your head, it might stay there all day. 

The lyrics seem more fitting than ever.  

I was reminded of that song when I read this terrific article about a high school shop class that made urns for the ashes of unclaimed veterans. Bravo to that shop teacher!

It's a great idea, you can read about it here.

RIP Beth Wheeler

The woodworking community here in Las Vegas lost a valued and talented member this week. Beth Wheeler passed away in her sleep early Thursday morning after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. 

There wasn't a more prolific woodworker in our group than Beth; these pictures prove that! 

She was a force in this world - not just in the wood shop but as a very successful entrepreneur, too. Whip smart, with a nearly photographic mind - Beth had the amazing ability to devour woodworking articles and almost instantly master whatever she attempted. As I told her many times - she was one of the most talented students who ever worked in my shop. (I can count on one hand how many people are in this category.) She purposely tackled techniques that stretched her talents, and employed them into projects chosen for their difficulty. 

Life isn’t fair, and Beth’s passing should be a reminder to us all about embracing challenges and enjoying the journey. I’ll miss her enthusiasm for hand tool work, and for her monthly show and tell projects - from difficult chairs and stools, to simple fun pieces for her grandchildren. Although her woodworking career was brief, it was rich with variety and personal goals - all of which she met head-on.

RIP Beth, our world here burns a little less brightly with your absence.