New Woodworking Accessories You Should Have!

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I guess I am a bit of an accessory wood junkie, I love to see what's new, not just in tools, but in accessories. I am amazed at what people can come up with and I am equally amazed by things that I saw many years ago at wood shows, that I did not purchase, but now when I decide I want them they are now gone from the marketplace. 

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/a2VXspQycRo

Here are a few new items I have discovered and I decided to get in on them early ... or at least early for me, and pick up these items ... some new, some used.

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RE-BUILD - Router Table Box Joint Jig

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Many years ago I said that if you want to impress another woodworker, make a dovetail joint ... if you want to impress everyone else you can make box joints, and that is still true today. Most people cannot tell the difference and to an untrained eye, box joints and dovetail joints look pretty much the same, but box joints are much easier to make, and using a router means you can make very fine joints.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/EzjG4bSrako

I first made this jig as a concept, I wanted to see if the same Lynn Sabin plans that created this jig well over 20 years ago, could be adapted to the router table. And it worked ... and it worked well. That jig I make many years ago worked fine so I didn't bother to make another ... until recently when I dug it out and found that some of the MDF and plywood that I used years ago, had cracked and the jig worked, but not smoothly. 

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Subscriber Submitted Workshop Tips and Tricks #23

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Before we get started with this episode, I want to take some time here as well to acknowledge all the woodworking clubs and guilds who took me up on my offer to speak at their woodworking meeting over the past 8 months, during COVID and when most were having Zoom meetings. In all, I spoke to 23 US clubs, 2 in Canada and one in England. I did all these presentations for free, but some clubs insisted on gifting me something and I thank them all very much ... and all clubs who invited me to speak  ... I look forward to some time in the future when I may have a chance to meet in person at shows, meeting or other events.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6x5TkqSeu4M

This first tip, from Sylvain, is something I wished I had known about 30 years ago. I can't imagine how many times I have dropped nuts or washers when trying to fit them onto bolts that are in awkward places, and of course, the washers fall off as soon as you try to attach the nut ... 

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1st & 2nd Grade Schoolers at a Woodworking Summer School

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The following short story was sent to me by a member of one of the many Woodworking Guilds I belong to ... thanks Bill

  A few years ago our Guild did a workshop for a local school district summer program. We had 60 kids (1st and 2nd graders) for 15 minutes. Eight guild members did this on two consecutive Saturdays. We had the kids work with a 1" x 4" (later reduced to 3/8" thick). They drew a line approximately 2" from one end with a square and pencil, wrote their name on the board with a Sharpie, drill a hole for a nail then another for a screw. Then with a hammer drove a nail part way in and removed it. Repeated the process with a screwdriver and screw. The last step was to cut the board off at the line with a saw. We learned it takes a long time to cut 3/4" stock if you have never done it before. This is why the thickness was reduced the second Saturday.
When they were done they put all the pieces of wood on the table where we could thrown them away or they had the option to collect them at the end of the day. 

Our workshop was the last activity so we were surprised to have all of the kids come back to the cafeteria where their parents were waiting to pick them up and find their "project" and proudly show their parents what they had made in the woodshop.

One little girl came back to our Guild member who had been her instructor and politely asked if he had any more nails that she could take home. The summer school director happened to overhear this request and asked what she was going to do with the nails. The little girl beamed as she explained she was going to take her "project" home and nail it to her bedroom wall.

The director diplomatically suggested she check with her Dad about her plans.

One of the things we learned from this workshop was to ask appropriate questions before making a commitment. We (that would be me) did not ask how many students or their ages. We were caught a bit off guard when we were told it would be 60 1st and 2nd graders.