LN Event at Popular Woodworking

This Thursday I will be driving to Cincinnati, OH for the LN event at Popular Woodworking.

Daed Toolworks, Czech Edge, Glen-Drake Tools, George Walker, SAPFM, and Jeff Miller will all be presenting along with Lie Nielsen and the staff of Popular Woodworking.

Here is a better write up than I will attempt.

All I will say is that I definitely do not have the time to make this trip. I forced it in my schedule. This show, with all the other presenters, is one I really want to attend.

I am going as a fan of the magazine but telling my wife that it's just one of those sacrifices one needs to make for a new business.

I won't be eating at White Castle this time. I will not make that sacrifice twice.

Profiles greater than 60 degrees, etc.

When I was just getting interested in hollows and rounds I read an old Fine Woodworking article that shows the exact opposite of what I teach. The author shows that a round plane is started on a chamfer and a hollow starts on an arris of a rabbet.

Chris Schwarz demonstrated this second method for cutting cavettos (coves) on his blog yesterday. Take a look because it's fun watching people work and because there is more than one way to get from A to B. Chris learned to stick moldings this way and has stated that he has much more success starting on a chamfer than with a rabbet, as I illustrate. You can't argue with success in 5 minutes and that's all that matters.

To the point: in the comment section I had a brief exchange with a woodworker that pointed out a few mistakes that I have made with my illustrations on my blog in the past. I know I've done it, but always thought that my writing would supercede my poor illustrations. (note: I look at woodworking magazines more than I read them so I apologize for assuming the opposite of you.) In the picture frame in this link the chamfers I used were smaller than what I illustrated, but at the same angle.

Let's look at cutting a profile greater than 60 degrees...

But let's first start with a simple 60. When cutting a 60 degree profile the inset corner of the rabbet created can fall nearly upon the finished profile. The reason for this is because the plane will never get rotated. It starts and finishes on the same angle. As the profile progresses the plane will sit in its own profile at all times.

PA Secretary Crown

Last week we laid out and executed a large bracket ogee foot for a PA secretary. Let's take a quick look at the crown.

A Successful Weekend in Saratoga

I shared a booth with Raney Nelson of Daed Toolworks this weekend in upstate NY. Raney brought several tools that seemed to catch most people's attention and interest. They always catch mine.

When Raney leaves the booth I get the opportunity to put these planes in many hands. These passersby are always shocked by the seemingly nonexistent mouth. They tell me I do great work. One of these days I'm just going to smile and say 'thank you.' 

Bracket Ogee Foot with Hollows, Rounds, and Jack

From a Pennsylvania Secretary

Plow (or table saw)

#18 round followed by #4 hollow

Jack plane, smooth plane, scrape (this was nearly a 5" radius)

The results...

This Weekend Officially Marks My One Year Anniversary.

This weekend's appearance at the NWA Showcase officially marks my one year anniversary of pursuing customers.

I offer my sincerest gratitude to my customers who showed faith, to the readers of this blog, to my new friends and acquaintances, to the people that send pictures of their work, and to my future customers.

Thank you Lie-Nielsen Toolworks for making the products and hosting the shows that I rely upon so greatly.

Thank you Chris Schwarz, the largest proponent of the craft.

Especially, thank you Larry Williams and Don McConnell for your very early encouragement, direction and coattails.

Thank you Chuck Bender for asking in the first place.

Thank you to my wife, children and parents who have been insanely supportive.

Thank you,
Matt Bickford

NWA Woodworking Showcase

This weekend I will be at the NWA Woodworking Showcase in Saratoga Springs, NY. I will be sharing a booth with Raney Nelson of Daed Toolworks.

If you are considering going I will urge you one last time to make the trip. It's a great show. There is a large vending area but the focus is on the product, not the tooling. There is a professional/amateur competition that gets hundreds of entries that run the range from 14' adirondack boats to 3" william and mary miniatures.

If that's not enough Lie-Nielsen,  Jeff Noden, Chuck Bender of the Acanthus Workshop (where I will be teaching a class in May), Bob Van Dyke of CT Valley School of Woodworking (where I will be teaching a class in July) and many, many more will be there.

Still not enough? Chris Shwarz will be demonstrating.

Ok, ok. I have one last draw...