Fine Woodworking

Keep On Learning With Fine Woodworking Magazine

Sadly, we no longer live in an age where you were apprenticed to a master craftsman in order to learn all of the ins and outs of your trade. It’s getting harder and harder to find competent instructors in fine woodworking, let alone one that can give you the individual attention you need. You can have that master craftsman’s attention, in a way, with Fine Woodworking magazine. Even the ads are all about woodworking!

Getting The Most From The Magazine

Although not completely necessary to enjoy Fine Woodworking magazine, it is best to have online access in order to make the most of each issue. They do have their own website at Fine Woodworking.com, which features videos and more in-depth details of topics covered in the print magazine.

Unlike a human teacher, Fine Woodworking magazine is there when it is most convenient for you and not the other way around. You can keep on learning your trade or passion even after you’ve closed up your shop for the night. The magic of print will never go out of style, even with the advent of the Internet.

For Every Level

Fine Woodworking magazine strives to make any instructions of how-to articles as clear to understand as possible. This not only means excellent writing, but excellent illustrations. They take a project and break it down to easy to follow steps. They don’t just have a few black and white scribbles, but detailed color diagrams to help better teach you the art of fine woodworking.

Fine Woodworking is written for master woodworkers as well as beginners. One of the great thing about woodworking is that you can never learn all there is to know. Even after years as a woodworker, you can find a new project to get you interested in woodworking again.

Consumer Reports Of The Trade

It’s very rare when Consumer Reports magazine ever bothers to compare woodworking tools and products. This big gap in unbiased product review in the woodworking industry is taken up by Fine Woodworking magazine. They test the products they review and put them through real world situations.

They also test woodworking projects that can fit in with a majority of interior decoration styles. They try to keep the projects tasteful and don’t lean too far over into abstract designs or art for art’s sake. The projects they spend so much effort and ink to teach are for functional projects like furniture and cabinets.

Want access to thousands of amazing woodworking plans?
Check out this resource to get you started. CLICK HERE!

Delta Woodworking Tools

Delta Woodworking Tools Won’t Do You Wrong

They say that a bad carpenter always blames his tools, with Delta woodworking tools there is no way you can fault the tools. These tools have been made to perform well, look great and give you maximum satisfaction.

No matter what type of woodworking tools you are looking for you are sure to find them at Delta. These tools are suitable for someone who does woodwork at home on the weekends, or anyone intending heavier use. The wide range in tools and prices make this a brand that anyone can rely on.

The Works

Delta woodworking tools extend beyond saws and other common woodworking tools. Delta woodworking tools complete your home workshop and provide you with an easier to work with environment. One example of this philosophy is the Delta vertical bag dust collector.

With this machine you don’t have to worry about heavy clean up when using a planer or table saw. Keep in mind the fact that this is meant for a home workshop as this machine takes up very little space and runs quietly; all big musts when you are working from home.

Delta woodworking tools are also designed to keep all your tools in working order. With a sharpening center that can answer all your sharpening needs this is truly the home woodworkers dream. It can sharpen both hardened and non-hardened tools with a wet/dry system. This way you can have sharp blades that give you a perfect cut without the worry of any safety issues.

Delta woodworking tools also complement the other tools in your arsenal. Using simple things like a tool rest for lathes can make life easier in the workshop. Products are constructed for everyone meaning you won’t have problems using this even if you have big hands.

You can make your life easier with Delta woodworking tools with a great planer from Delta. This machine will make working with hardwoods a dream. You can work with this machine without making a lot of noise and producing snipe on your final project.

You can adjust the planer and move it to suit you and what you’re working on. As always safety comes first and these machines have been designed with your safety in mind. Used responsibly there should be no worry of accidents happening. Whatever Delta machine you choose, you are sure to find something that fits your needs and your preferences. The next time you need to add a machine to your workshop, think of Delta.

Want access to thousands of amazing woodworking plans?
Check out this resource to get you started. CLICK HERE!

Asia Woodworking Equipment

Woodworking equipment is very useful and incredibly popular around the world. Asia woodworking equipment is particularly notorious, for its high quality make and affordable price. If you are interested in purchasing Asia woodworking equipment yourself, there are a few companies in particular that are going to be worth checking out.

House of Tools

House of Tools is one of the top woodworking tools companies in the world, and one that offers a vast and comprehensive selection of Asia woodworking equipment. When it comes to woodworking machinery in general, no one has a better selection than they do, and they have everything the consumer needs for bench top, floor models, home use, contractor, shops or heavy industrial and production machinery.

For production machinery they offer band saws, clamping equipment, dust collection, edgebanders, horizontal beam saws, jointers and planers, point to point machines, sanding machines, shapers, sliding table saws, specialty machines, veneer equipment, wood lathes, pneumatic cut-off saws, wood lathes and more.

For Asia woodworking equipment they also offer a variety of floor model machines including band saws, drill presses, jointers and access, spindle sanders, table saws and access, wood lathes and access, and planers, molders and access.

MLS Machinery

Another company worth checking out for Asia woodworking equipment of all sorts is the MLS Machinery Company. They offer everything from carving machines, chair making equipment, compressors, pumps, flooring equipment, dowel equipment, finger jointers, glue spreaders, and lathes to material handling equipment, new woodworking machinery, packaging equipment, rip saws, tenoners, veneer equipment, wood waste equipment and more.

They specialize in sourcing and listing both new and used woodworking machinery, and they are always dedicated to providing all of their customers the best service possible. They have over 350 years of combined experience, so you know that you can trust in them and rely on them to offer you the tools and information that you need.

Their website features an online catalog of the various different woodworking pieces they offer including all recent arrivals that you can quickly click to.

If you are not sure of the particular pieces of woodworking equipment to look for, then you should be able to find qualified and trained employees at the company you are shopping at and speak to them about this.

They will talk to you, help to figure out exactly what it is that you need and then make sure that you have an understanding of the selection that is available to you.

Want access to thousands of amazing woodworking plans?

Check out this resource to get you started. CLICK HERE!

Advanced Woodworking Schools

The first of our advanced woodworking schools to look at is the Lohr School of Woodworking. J.D. Lohr’s “Practical Woodworking” is a forty eight hour course that teaches you all the skills necessary to become a truly master woodworker. Students of all levels can benefit from this class, but it is truly meant to be enjoyed by advanced woodworkers. As with any woodworking instruction, students will be working with power tools so caution is first and foremost.

The school boasts four table saws, three jointers, three drill presses, two thickness planars, two wood lathers, full dust collection, spindle shapers, bandsaws, jig saws, scroll saws, as well as dozens of routers and jig accessories. In addition to these the school is fully stocked with all the assorted high quality tools you need to really bring your woodworking to another level. They offer a 48 hour boot camp so that you can go and get your skills up without having to wait years and months. This school is highly recommended.

Next on our list of advanced woodworking schools is the Homestead Woodworking School. This school, located in Newmarket, New Hampshire, offers classes for all skill levels. All of the instructors are professional woodworkers in addition to be teachers and each offers there own areas of specialization to help you get the most out of your woodworking talent.

They offer many different courses throughout the year so check their website to find a class that is good for you. In addition they offer a comprehensive ten week course that takes you from the history of woodworking to its practical applications.

Connecticut School of Woodworking
The final school on our list of advanced woodworking schools is the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking. This school offers classes starting with the fundamentals working up to professional furniture finishing techniques. They boast an extensive list of classes and instructors, so check their website to find what most applies to your skill level and interest.

Any of these three schools would be a good choice, but give them each a call to find the right one for you.
Want access to thousands of amazing woodworking plans?
Check out this resource to get you started . CLICK HERE!

How to Make a Box Squaring Jig in 6 Easy Steps

Are you square? If not, you need to learn about the box squaring jig. It’s one of the most important things for beginning woodworkers.

Read on and we’ll show you how to make a bo  Squaring Jig in 6 steps.

What is a Box Squaring Jig?

If you have decided to take up woodworking as a hobby and intend to embark on some small projects then you may have come across the common problem of how to make things precise.

Often when you are making something as simple as a cabinet, no matter the size, it is very difficult to keep things accurate so that you end up with a perfect square or rectangle.

Woodworking jigs help you to keep things in place and repeat the same measurements and dimensions in all your woodworking projects. You can make your own woodworking jigs for these purposes.

Jigs allow you to do all sorts of things; with a jig you can start more difficult projects that require very thin wood as you can plane the wood yourself with the right jig. You can even use jigs to invert a belt sander and use it for things that you never dreamed of.

Making a Box Squaring Jig in 6 Steps

Among the woodworking jigs that you can make at home is the box-squaring jig. This is a simple device that will help you to make cabinets and anything that has a square shape.

1. Use plywood that is about three quarters of an inch thick.
2. Cut an eight or 10-inch square from this.
3. Down the middle of the square cut a groove that is about three quarters of an inch wide and about half an inch deep. You can use a router or dado blade for this.
4. Cut another groove that is perpendicular to the first one so that you have a cross across your square of plywood.
5. At the intersection of the two lines drill or cut a hole with a hole saw that is about one and a half inches to two inches in circumference.
6. To finish off the most practical of all the woodworking jigs, put on a coat of varnish. This will help to keep glue off and the hole also helps to remove any excess glue that might result.

This is just the beginning of the woodworking jigs that you can make.

The box-squaring jig is a simple one to make and a good one to have when you are just starting out with woodworking projects.

Other woodworking jigs become quite complicated and are labor intensive to make. The construction of these jigs themselves can be difficult. You might want to consider buying the more complicated woodworking jigs rather than making your own.

But for now, congratulations! You just made a vey useful and essential Box Squaring Jig!

What You Need to Know About Model Railroad Track Plan and Layout

When planning construction of a model railroad there are all sorts of possible track configurations and plans to consider.

The key to a successful model railroad track plan is preparation.

It really depends on the space you have at your disposal and what type of train operation you would most enjoy.

Real railroads (prototype) run from one destination to another rather than go around in a circle. In reality, real railroads usually have hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of track to work with.

Even in a scaled down form, most model railroads lack the space to fully replicate this, so a degree of adaptation and compromise is usually required.

Full size trains often run for long stretches over monotonous landscape, which if reconstructed on a model layout, would be rather boring.

To give you an example, the Ghan Train in Australia, runs 1,880 miles across mostly barren desert. Imagine replicating that on a scaled down model railroad – it would probably stretch from one end of town to the other!

The main line begins at one point, and travels to another point, and stops, hence the term – a point to point railroad.

Although a point-to-point layout is necessary on real railroads, the format is not generally practical for the average home (or club) model train layout.

Replicating the scale mileage of a true point-to-point railroad does not generally work that well.

To make things a little more practical (and interesting), prototype railroads have branch lines, sidings and other subsidiary systems. Adding these to a model layout can be a good idea.

Before departure, the trains are turned around at terminals using yards, loops, wyes, and turntables. A single or double-track main line usually stretches from point to point.

When planning your point-to-point layout, you might want to include switches and yards at one end of the layout, and a turnaround at the other.

Click here for lots of clever model train layout ideas.

Most small layouts would not have enough space for two terminals, so use an “out-and-home” track configuration. An out-and-home layout accommodates only one terminal and is like a point-to-point layout double backing.

The train journey would start at the terminal and it would pass through various landscapes, possibly a small town, and eventually arrive back at the same terminal.

Some might say it is cheating, but unless you have unlimited space (and money) for your layout, a little compromise is usually required.

Constructing an out-and-home layout usually enables a little more mileage between terminals. The train will still arrive back at the terminal in a reasonably short space of time.

You could add more realism and interest by combining an out-and-home, and point-to-point, format with continuous pikes. You would need a fair amount of space though.

Many model railroaders prefer a continuous layout because it allows for varied train movements which make operation more interesting.

Whatever track plan you decide, the important thing is to have fun.

Join Robert Anderson’s popular online Model Train Club to get lots of clever model railroad ideas to help you build the model train layout of your dreams!

Getting Started with Model Trains: 5 Tips to Pick a Locomotive

If you’re just getting started with model trains, you should know that a quality locomotive is key. A good one will make all the difference in the world. Here are 5 tips to pick a good locomotive.

If You’re Going to Skimp, Don’t Do it on the Locomotive

I’m not made of money. So I like to save when I can. My wife calls it being cheap. (I would call it being sensible.)

However, if you’re getting started with model trains, don’t skimp on the locomotive. Nothing is more frustrating than having a locomotive that you need to push to get going. It’s worse if it suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks.

A locomotive runs by picking up the electricity from the track through its wheels. The wheels transfer the electricity to the motor, which then turns the gears to drive the locomotive.

A locomotive with poor pickup on the wheels or a poor gear set up will give you lots of problems. As with most things, you get what you pay for… but this is one area you do not want to skimp on.

A great operating locomotive is 90% of the way to having a fantastic model train layout.

So with that in mind, let’s get to the 5 Tips.

5 Tips to Picking a Good Quality Locomotive

When buying a locomotive these points are critical:

1. The amount of metal wheels that pick up the electricity – the more the better, but definitely more than 1 set.
2. A good gearing ratio and motor which requires the least amount of electricity to move the locomotive, with a slow but smooth start.
3. Flywheels at one or both ends of the motor to ensure a smooth take off and smooth stop.
4. The weight of the locomotive should be just right to maintain a good connection to the track at all times but not too heavy to make the locomotive sluggish.
5. The length of the locomotive – shorter diesel locomotives are less likely to derail on the curves than longer steam locomotives.

Most hobby shops will let you test the locomotive on their in-house test tracks before you buy.

Test the locomotive forwards and backwards… Check for a nice smooth take off and a nice smooth stop when the power is ramped up or down.

I usually go into my local hobby shop after doing my research online, test the locomotive, and then I negotiate the price. That tip has saved me nearly 30% of the retail price in some cases.

Conclusion

Buy quality when you buy your locomotives… I guarantee the investment will be well worth it.

If you would like more info or are looking for a good starter Resource, check out this website on Model Trains for Beginners.