FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

Re: FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

paul womack

>-Becksvoort covers his dovetail tricks (interesting)

Does he mention this one?

I mean, I know the old guys could make wondrous dovetails without such trickery, but I (for one) find it helpful.

BugBear

Re: FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

Rod Cole

>Yeah, I thought the issue in general was good. I was amazed at the top tip as it was a direct rip off of a commercial product. At the very least they should have mentioned it was a homemade version of the Veritas product. I expect some letters on that.

The other thing was the letter about what a horrible idea it was to use a granite surface plate to sharped tools. The issue was how you should not use abrasives on the plate. True enough, you certainly should not put diamond paste on it and go at your irons. But all the guy was talking about was using sand paper. Maybe I do it all wrong (Lord knows it happens from time to time, but don't tell my wife!) but last I checked the paper was used abrasive side up, not down against the stone.

- Rod Cole

Re: FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Yeah I saw that too and wondered what he was talking about. I can't imagine that by using PSA backed 3M micro abrasive sheets will cause major damage to my surface plate.

On the stone

Dan Donaldson

>I think it also depends on what you want it for. Those stones are cheap enough that it is worth it to get a good base for flattening. If it gets a bit out, so what? If I needed one as an NBS standard, I would buy an accurate one and protect it.

Kinda reminds me of an off road motorcycle that I had when I was younger. I was always breaking stuff on it and some people made remarks about beating it up. Well, that was exactly what I bought it for ;-) My road bike, I took good care to not abuse , but this one was strictly for off road playing.

Beeksvort tips

Robin Frierson

>Looks like Beeksvort dry fits his dovetails first. I thought you werent supposed to do that, that they will only fit well once, at least thats Rob Cosmans advice in his video.

Re: Author! Author!

Todd Stock

>Bravo...well done. I assume these have made the rounds of the editorial department at FWW?

Rob Cosman

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Rob also says in that video,that cutting dovetails is a young man's job. It was in answer to his assistant's remark about having a steady hand.--I'm 52, am I too old to cut dovetails?Crackerjack

Abrasive side up!?!?!?!?

Steve Kubien

>Ya gotta be kidding? This warrants investigation. Could be why my chisels go, "thump" when I strike them with a mallet instead of, "ssssccchhhtik"

Back to the drawing board.

Steve Kubien

Ajax, Ont

All in jest, of course

Re: Beeksvoort tips

Todd Stock

>I think there's some real room for debate here.

I'm sure that Klausz and Cosman can get a perfect fit every time, but this is equivalent to comparing any of us in our primary profession (tinker, tailor, soldier...), where we make the challenging and difficult look unremarkable...

(25 knot gusty crosswind to a mountainside pad; only enough room for the left aft gear...oh yeah...it's 0210 local, no moon, and they're shooting at us)

Feel free to insert example as appropriate...

If you only cut a few sets of dovetails a year, you're just not going to develop the skill set to the point that everything fits first time/everytime, and I think it takes less time to fit by assembly that to cut everything fat and pare to the line.

I also think that certain woods require a near perfect fit. While mahogany or poplar will happily compress to make a bad fit look good, fruitwoods and exotics won't put up with it.

Particularly in cherry (Becksvoort's wood of choice) a tight pin will end up splitting the work without warning. I doubt he test fits for utility dovetails in softer woods, but probably feels the need to do so in cherry. Also, cherry just does not allow the use of 'cheats' like mahagany or other more open grain woods. Even a small sliver of wood to disguise an open joint shows up like a beacon.

A good question for Cosman...

LOL ;-)

Dan Donaldson

>

Re: FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

Paul M. in San Diego

>I loved the tip about touching up jointer blades in-situ with a palm sander. I was reading this wondering what crackpot would suggest such a thing and what editor would print such a stupid tip. Then I read that it was submitted by some guy named "Jimmy Carter, Plains Ga". Hmmm, this is a guy I hold in very high esteem... Maybe I should rethink my "crackpot" comments....

All-around, this is a good issue. One minor quibble... I love Greene & Greene styling, but that mahogony table is awfully ugly and chunky. I think the author needed to cut down his cardboard models a bit more during the design process.

At 52 aren't you too old for eveything? ;-)

John, NY

>Sorry couldn't resist...

I think what he meant was...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>...that loose abrasives shouldn't be used. Think he was refering to Duckworth's article a while back about lapping with loose abrasives on a granite floor tile. Agreed, the letter didn't read that way at all, but I can't believe that he'd get that spastic about sandpaper glued to granite.

Of course, he totally lost me with the cinder block reference...

But too young for...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>the AARP?

Sorry, couldn't resist, either.

Re: G&G Project

Todd Stock

>I agree re: the G&G table. I'd probably make a few changes (larger edge radius, oval section cloud lifts, Jenny Craig the legs, and loose the clunky shelf tenon).

I've seen other Rogowski stuff that looks quite nice, so I have to wonder whether 'easy to build' got in the way of 'beautiful and functional."

Yeah the cinder block was great

Rod Cole

>I got to that part and looked at the front of the magazine to make sure it was not the April fools addition. :)

- Rod Cole

Pam...Do You Recall?

Todd Stock

>Can't recall if it was Odate that mentioned using cinder blocks for flattening coarse waterstones, or some other author discussing rural apprenticeship to a temple builder.

I've seen it before, but the "...nope...only need the one, thanks" note was funny.

My collection of Japanese tool stuff is somewhere in my dad's attic, or I'd do the chore myself.

Re: FWW Aug Issue...Not Bad At All

Rod Cole

>Yeah that was fun spotting Jimmy Carter, Plains, GA.

It took a bit before I noticed.

- Rod Cole

Re: But too young for...

Tom MacGregor, Vermont

>NO, dammit. I'm 52 and they sent me my first AARP application 2 days after my 50th birthday. I might have signed up if they'd let me stay in denial for another week. That was when I got to work and discovered I had fillings that were older than the new receptionist.

Don't feel too bad...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>I used to give my dad no end of grief about his eligibility for the AARP (when he was 55) and he got no end of chapped about it. Nowadays, he not only proudly thrusts his membership at anyone who might eventually ask about it, but is considering running for office.

Something else to consider: The guy who piloted the commercial spaceliner yesterday was 63. I hope I can still walk and see in 30 years, let alone pilot spacecraft...

Re: Beeksvort tips

Asher F.

>I liked the idea of using regular pine blocks as a clamp for the dovetail joints. I was never a big fan of "one time jigs" anyway!

Re: Beeksvort tips

Asher F.

>Also, I see his point when he talks about saving time by first cuttting tails on both sides at the same time. But with all the marking of the tails, woldn't it come out about the same as cutting pins first (using Klausz's method)?

I personally tried pins first and likeed it better then I was expecting ("liked it better" can be defined as getting good results with minimal marking)...

When I tried tails first I never cut dove's ever before :)

AARP

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>Ha! I am 49 (will be 50 in October), and they have been sending me applications since I turned 40. My wife still cackles when I get one.

Re: Beeksvoort tips

Mike G.

>Maple also isn't too forgiving either. DAMHIKT A force fit on Maple DT's will split the board everytime. :^(

Mike G.