About.com Woodworking

Lumberjocks Contest Winner

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:11:36 +0000

As mentioned last week, the Winter 2010 LumberJocks Woodworking Contest has ended, and the winning entries have now been announced. The top winning entry is a pretty interesting project, but the story behind the project is especially poignant, given the surrounding event in the news recently.

Personally, I really liked the runner-up entry best. However, there are a lot of inspiring pieces here, and a couple that gave me some ideas for some projects of my own.

Check out all of the winners (and the stories behind them) at LumberJocks.com.

Lumberjocks Contest Winner originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 21:11:36.

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Bosch ROS20VSK Random Orbit Sander Review

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:53:48 +0000

The Bosch ROS20VSK Random Orbit Sander is a 5-inch (8-hole) sander that uses the standard hook-and-loop sanding disks. It does a good job of sanding quickly, and has variable speeds from 7,500-12,500 oscillations per minute.

However, there are a couple of features that allow it to stand out from competitors, and another item that I think could use some improvement.

Learn these advantages and disadvantages of this sander in the About Woodworking review of the Bosch ROS20VSK Random Orbit Sander.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Bosch ROS20VSK Random Orbit Sander Review originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 16:53:48.

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30 Minute Miracles Winners Announced!

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:23:50 +0000

A couple of months ago in this space I mentioned the Dremel 30 Minute Miracles contest.

Dremel has now announced the winners. Check out the top three winning entrants and their stories at the Dremel 30 Minute Miracles website.

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30 Minute Miracles Winners Announced! originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 at 10:23:50.

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Voting Has Started!

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:59:14 +0000

Voting for the LumberJocks Winter 2010 Woodworking Awards has commenced. If you entered this winter's contest, don't forget to cast your vote at LumberJocks.com.

If you didn't enter this winter, check on the LumberJocks site beginning Monday morning to see this winter's winners. The winning entries are always inspiring, and I'm sure this year's entries will be up to par.

Voting Has Started! originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 22:59:14.

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Woodturning Basics

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:36:50 +0000

Of all of the, shall we call them, sub-cultures of woodworking, perhaps the hottest and one of the most enduring is woodturning. The reason for woodturning's popularity is unclear - perhaps it is because it is one of the safest activities in woodworking, and a task that nearly anyone, of any age can enjoy.

Maybe it's because of the variety of popular projects that can be turned. There's an entire section of the woodworking market devoted to woodturners who only turn out pens, made out of rare wood species, colorful acrylics or even exotic materials (I saw an entry in a woodturning catalog recently where one could fashion a pen by turning snakeskin).

Other popular items include bottle stoppers, bowls of various sizes and shapes, and of course, spindle items such as bed posts, table legs or balusters and finials.

No matter what type of woodturning project one should endeavor to accomplish, the basic techniques employed by the woodturners are the same. If you're interested in learning how to begin with this extremely satisfying aspect of woodworking, learn the basics in Woodturning 101. Once you know the basics (and have had a good bit of practice), you'll be ready to venture off into all kinds of interesting woodturning projects.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Woodturning Basics originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 23:36:50.

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Hitachi SV13YA Random Orbit Sander Review

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:45:34 +0000

The Hitachi SV13YA is a 2.4-amp, 230-watt variable speed (7,000-12,000 RPM) random orbit sander with features one would expect to see in this type of tool. It is also covered by one of the best warranties in the business.

In this About Woodworking review, learn the advantages and disadvantages of the Hitachi SV13YA Random Orbit Sander.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Hitachi SV13YA Random Orbit Sander Review originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 16:45:34.

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Custom Washers for Your Washers Game

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:21:33 +0000

As we head into the dog days of winter here in the US, thoughts turn to spring, and better weather. If you're looking for a woodworking project you can put to use when it begins to warm up outside, you might enjoy this:
A while back, I posted a set of free woodworking plans for a favorite backyard game of mine, a variation of Washers where players toss 3-inch fender washers at a board with three scoring holes. An addictive game, I must say.

If the thought of playing washers intrigues you, this might up the ante a little bit: customized, powder-coated throwing washers from WasherPit.com. While the standard WasherPit custom washers are 2-1/2" rather than the 3" diameter that we use in our game (one could easily make the holes in the game board 1/2" smaller to accommodate the smaller washers), a conversation with the fine folks at the Washer Pit led me to believe that they might be able to get some 3" custom washers if there was enough demand.

Check out The Washer Pit for the details. I know I sure would like to get a few sets once it gets warm enough to venture out to the backyard again.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Custom Washers for Your Washers Game originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 19:21:33.

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Reducing Splinters When Routing

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:37:27 +0000

A reader recently sent in the following question:

I am building doors to hold glass for a display. I am using 1x3 hemlock because I wanted straight grain, but I have a problem: when routing the pieces for the glass, the wood splinters off on the edge. Should I try a "softer wood"? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This reader brings up a good question. Many woods with strong grains can splinter (or even have chunks taken out) when routing. Learn some woodworking ideas for dealing with the problem in Reducing Splinters When Routing.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Reducing Splinters When Routing originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 23:37:27.

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Woodworking Charity for Children

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:10:47 +0000

I recently was introduced to a woodworking charity that I thought I'd pass along, because their simple mission is one to which any woodworker can contribute, not with money, but with their skill.

The Woodworkers for Children Charity was started with a two-fold mission: to provide hand-crafted wooden toys to underprivileged children in the Washington D.C. area, and to assist a literacy program for first-grade children called "Reading is Toyrific!"

How can we in the woodworking community help? There are a couple of wooden toy plans on the site that one can build inexpensively (to certain "kid-friendly" specifications as listed) and send them to the organization. They even have a section where you can post your own toy plans for others to make!

This is a great idea, particularly for woodworkers who may want to teach their own children. By having our own kids help participate in the building of these toys, we can teach them woodworking while also teaching them the joys of giving to those less fortunate than ourselves.

To learn more, visit Woodworking Charity for Children.

Photo Courtesy of WoodenToys.org

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Woodworking Charity for Children originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 10:10:47.

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Milwaukee 6021-21 Random Orbit Sander Review

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:21:57 +0000

A good random orbit sander can make a huge difference in not only how long it takes to sand and prepare a project for finishing, but how well the finish eventually turns out. After having a chance to test the Milwaukee 6021-21 Random Orbit Sander, saying that it fits into the "good random orbit sander" category might be an understatement.

This Milwaukee 6021-21 sander has an impressive feature set, but those features pale in comparison to the results the sander produces. This heavy-duty random orbit sander would be a great addition to any wood shop.

Learn the advantages of this random orbit sander in the About Woodworking Milwaukee 6021-21 Random Orbit Sander Review.

(c) 2010 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Milwaukee 6021-21 Random Orbit Sander Review originally appeared on About.com Woodworking on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 17:21:57.

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