As much as I try and create a bit of "theme" to tips and tricks submitted by my YouTube Subscribers, sometimes they are just "all over the park" so welcome to some really interesting, fun and very useful tips ...
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lZZjLj9sOcM
The first tip was sent to me from Monica ...
Colin Knecht writes - I was in shock when I first heard the news that my friend Judson had passed. I hadn't talked to him in a couple of years and just last week I put him on my "call" list to get an update from him and maybe get together to make another video with him at his workshop. Judson Beaumont was easily in the top 5 list of my most admired woodworkers and designers of all time. His innovative designs and his termination in building them were unparalleled. The last time I spent time with him at his shop, we spent a portion of the time in his tiny business office / drawing / creating room. As he talked to me about his new ideas and plans, his energy and enthusiasm were infectious. The more he talked, the more energized he became. He told me that he came to work early each morning, before any of the staff, when it was quite and still, so he could spend time drawing, making models of new designs and thinking about what creations would be next on the build list. Today, I dug out my copy of February 2011 Fine Woodworking - Page 76 to re-read the article they did then, and look at the pictures Judson and his work, some of which I have seen in person. I am so glad now that I kept this copy.
One of my most treasured pictures now is the one that was taken of the 2 of us at one of the wood shows. It was taken about 12 years ago on a not-so-great phone, but now it's a personal item that means everything to me.
I could go on and on, but instead will submit my deepest sympathies to his family and friends, we have all lost a wonderful person who just happened to an amazing woodworker, designer and artist.
*** For those of you who are not familiar with his work, you can check out the article on this website HERE
Woodworking has much to do with practicing, and hand tools, especially things like hand planes often require even more practice before we can achieve a high level of results and there is something rewarding in going through the practice and finally getting the "feel" and the "sound" of the plane as the razor-sharp blade cuts through the wood and in the end, you end up with some perfect or at least near-perfect planed boards.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/7JeiXqbsCPg
In the meantime ... for those who are newer to woodworking and have not yet had the time to practice hand planing and other tool techniques, and to help ensure these woodworkers continue to keep inspired, I have developed, or at least maybe re-developed a small jig that attaches to a hand plane that can help in getting nice right-angle edges on your wood.
One of the things I enjoy most about attending woodworking events and meetings, is all the people I encounter who have amazing talents. It's fun to listen to their stories and to share their intensity for what they build. They frequently build wood projects along the same lines, just different versions, bigger smaller, more detailed, more functional, but often they can show you several versions of a line of projects they are or at least want to build.
In my recent trip to Kansas City and to the Lee's Summit Woodworkers Guild meeting, I met a gentleman who shares the same love of large format cameras as me. Our careers took different paths, but we were both involved in photography and both had a love for large format cameras, especially the ones that were built from wood. From my side, although I have collected plans and picture, I have yet to take the step of actually building a camera, but my friend, Bob Ladue did, and recently sent me some pictures of his latest build.
Woodworkers who prefer to use "traditional" woodworking techniques and joints will appreciate that accuracy in making these joints is paramount and that way you get to the point of making accurate joints is through practice, practice, practice. For many of us who are part-time or novice woodworkers, getting that practice in is a tedious job, so we look for other means of achieving the same results.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/bM8TjnXcvc4
Cutting mortises by hand, or even with machines, especially for new woodworkers who are trying to follow the traditional techniques can be frustrating and for many, takes the fun out of woodworking ... but there are many ways of making mortises ...
