More upcoming blogs
We have just about concluded the list of promised blogs from two months ago. One of the most exciting ones though is the one on making walking canes and staffs. This may well result in businesses starting throughout the USA, Canada, Mainland Europe, Australia, Asia and of course good ol’ Great Britain.
In 1988 I made my first walking cane and I blogged on this here and now I am preparing to reveal what is one of the best walking canes to be had.
Some of these blogs are being made into films so that you can watch them on the woodworkingmasterclasses.com online broadcast.
The list of the next blogs are about concluded and I will put them up shortly. Meanwhile I can take requests or reminders on what you would like me to blog on.
Thanks for this. I was wondering if you could write a blog and/or short video on the different types of auger bits available (russell jennings, irwin) and how to properly sharpen them. Which type you prefer (if any) and why.
Also, I have always been curious about under the workbench storage and the drawer in the center of your workbench.
Brandon,
Paul does have a video on sharpening Auger bits over on Woodworking Masterclasses. I’m not sure if it’s one of the free ones or if you need a subscription but the subscriptions are inexpensive.
https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/2013/10/sharpening-auger-bit/
It is a freebie, so take a look and see how its done. We also have some more up to date sharpening videos covering gouges and sharpening them to post soon.
Dangit Paul would you slow down some? You’re making it awfully uncomfortable to remain at my current level of ignorance!
Mr. Sellers: I would reeeally like a blog on how to straighten saws (both back and back-less). Most of mine are either gently bowed along one or more areas, or have a kink along an edge as if someone put the leg of a chair on there and sat on it. I haven’t had the best luck finding pristine saws. I only have 1 or 2 that have remained truly straight (two 26-inch Disston back-less saws). I have a few 16 and 18-inch panel saws I’d really like to use they way you use one in your workbench videos. Some of them are pretty rust-free with solid handles, but they’re just not straight. Perhaps you could write about how much bowing is acceptable (if at all), and how to decide if a saw can be saved or not. Thank you!
Paul,
Great to see you have inspired and educated a ton of people like myself who were lost to woodworking machines and ignorant of the power and safety of hand tools. Kudos to you!
Since you are taking requests, I have long wanted to see a few tools and techniques addressed from you.
1. Bow saw – I know you made a bow saw recently and I hope to see a blog or video.
2. Angled tenon and mortise joints. I have a good handle on the classic mortise and tenon. However, angled ones are still an issue. I am sure there are techniques which make getting a bunch of these ending up consistent assured. I just don’t know how. I think you will have the simplest and no nonsense approach to them.
Thanks for all you do. Reading your blog and watching your videos have really made a big difference to my approach to woodworking.
PM
It would be good to know as a budding woodworker, the different wood joints and the thought process that goes behind choosing one over the other.
I have seen lots of videos/tutorials on how the different types of wood joint are undertaken – yet none of them specify when you would use it, and more importantly why.
Hi Paul,
I would really appreciate a blog on “grain raising” prior to finishing. I am a bit confused because I always thought that sanding is necessary to open a planed or spokeshaved surface before applying finish and that’s what I did do far. Recently I watched videos where people state that a surface treated with an edge tool doesn’t need sanding before the finish is applied.
Is this depending on the type of finish?
Cheers,
Florian
I second the augur bits suggestion. It would be great to learn the best type for furniture or cabinetmaking. I read recently someone bought the kind used in heavy carpentry by mistake. Would like to avoid getting the wrong kind and need some suggestions what to look for.
Hey Paul, I would enjoy some conversation on comparative wood characteristics. For instance, Oak, here in the states we basically have Red and White Oak, and several sub categories under that. I am not sure how these compare to the Oak over in England or Europe. Also, the Pines, there are many variations as well, how do the ones here compare to the others around the world. I know a lot of confusion is created just in naming conventions, so it would be nice to have some clarification on that. One in particular that gets me is the Redwood, from what I gather, the species we call Redwood here in the states is completely different than the Redwood in England. I know this list could grow long with the Cedars, Mahoganys, Walnuts, Cherrys, and so on, but it would be nice to here from one that has some “global” experience in this area.
Thanks, and best regards
Steve Follis
Hi paul.
When I was on the course, you said there would be one on bird tables, feeders and nesting boxes?
Chris
One area of woodworking that has me baffled, probably because I don’t love doing it, is finishing.
I would love more info on Paul’s approach to finishing for fine furniture, common household furniture like dining tables and nightstands and even outdoor pieces like benches, etc…
thanks for everything Paul, Joseph, Phil…
Brian
Thank you for all you do. Some ideas for topics are:
1) More on ornamentation, e.g., lambs tongue and other decorative chamfers, more involved mouldings and edge treatments, making / using scratch blocks, and sharpening hollows and rounds.
2) A masterclass technique video on jointer safety. People use them: Maybe you can help save some fingers, especially as the masterclass projects are becoming more involved and some of us may use machines to prepare our materials.
Marty,
I believe Paul has a written description on sharpening gouges in his book “Working Wood 1 & 2: The Artisan Course with Paul Sellers”. I brushed over it a couple of times without a diamond stone and gouge in my hands and honestly I didn’t get a mental picture of what he was talking about. That’s not unusual for me at all and if I had the props in hand while reading it might make the difference. I don’t know if there’s a video on the accompanying dvds.