Norm--Coming Around!
Alan Hamilton
>I practically never watch Nahm in his New Workshop, but being under the weather a bit...
Nahm was building--funny how carpenters say "built" or "build" while furniture people and other fine wood workers say "made" or "make," er...sorry. Anyway, he was building what he called a "French" end table with a drawer. He made two huge changes in his tools and methods.
He used no biscuits when he glued up the top! He explained that after some years he found biscuited panels would often develop a "divot" right over the biscuits, which he said "doesn't look very good." Indeed! Why he used biscuits in the first place is beyond me--unless as others have postulated, the tool manufacturers who sponser his show insist on it. But it looks like no more biscuits for Nahm--at least on edge to edge glue ups.
A little later he announced he was going to "hand cut" the dovetails for the drawer. Needless to say this roused me from my fever-induced torpor. He not so carefully marked them out as though he was going to hand cut them; but to remove most of the wood for the half-blind pins he used a router. But from then on he really did use all hand tools: he used an eight dollar, hardware store, Stanley "dovetail saw" (HAH!) to saw the tails; and then he used actual chisels to remove the wood. Amazing!
Do you suppose Nahm is now on the Power Tool Patch, and is trying to taper off? Has he perhaps had the revelation? The glorious light showed him the way? Nahm the convert? Otherwise I can't understand it.
He does need a bit more work. Apparently he still thinks a power tool that isn't bolted to the floor is a "hand tool" (I've seen David Marks say the same thing). And for a few moments he showed the inside of his wall-mounted tool chest; inside I could see only one jack plane and one, or maybe a couple block planes. But perhaps, at long last, he's taken the righteous path and is on the road to glory.
I may have to set up the VCR so I can follow any further conversion.
Alan
