My sense is the fatalities are all the direct result of attempting to turn things that are large and fractured—things a newer turner wouldn’t likely be tempted by. There are some really spectacular turnings of bowls and hollow forms with wood that has voids, but a catch with something like that can easily send a 25 lb…

Specifically asked about mentoring. Local chapter is utterly, totally, unresponsive. So, again, YMMV. I’ve got a Jet 1642 EVS Pro, so it wasn’t even like I was trying to cadge time on someone else’s kit. And I’m an experienced woodworker, even though I haven’t spent a lot of time on the lathe since HS 35 years ago, so…

I’m in a fairly major market and went to my local AAW chapter (probably has a membership in the hundreds) looking for some turning mentoring and got absolutely no help. So the AAW benefits are strongly regional. I also learned that if you wonder where all the old white guys are in my area on the third Sunday of the…

“Woodturning is a safe and relatively inexpensive hobby.” I frequent a woodworking forum that has a large wood turning contingent. Odd thing is that the only woodworking fatalities I remember from the site are woodturners (sadly, more than one). And they keep referring to woodturning as a financial “vortex”—I gather…

On a hot day, the sun might do it for them. But, certainly, heating up their allen wrench with a lighter would melt the wax. You might have to do a little more to remove the BB. I’d be inclined to use a security bolt instead.

As a parent, when my child has a fever, I’ve got a pretty good mental handle on how the fever is trending. Maybe I’m extra-responsible, but that has never been an accusation I’ve faced in the past, so I question the need for this type of trending/data acquisition.

As a parent, when my child has a fever, I’ve got a pretty good mental handle on how the fever is trending. Maybe I’m…

Ah yes, and for some of us, woodworking is more about bragging about how true craftsmanship can only be achieved with neanderthal tools in a shop lit by candles.

My issue isn’t with the video. It is with the statement in the article that strongly suggests that this is “high precision” and “provides a consistent depth of cut and better feel than a powered router.” I.e., that this produces a result better than a router.

I guess the question is what the purpose is. Making a good, adjustable and accurate router plane isn’t hard. But this is sort of bodged-up—perhaps OK if you’re in a spot, but not what I’d use for things requiring “a precise tolerance.”

I like a good router plane, but I’m not sure I see how this provides a more accurate or consistent depth of cut than any of my electric routers. All of my big electric routers have fine thread adjusters—maybe not my Bosch Colt, which is more of a laminate trimmer anyway, but certainly both my Festools, my table…

I think planes and airports occupy a kind of “purgatory” status within the diplomatic world (going Catholic allegory here in deference to Poppa Francis bein’ in town). If you think about it, you haven’t actually “entered” the country until you have passed through immigration & customs—occasionally you hear of people…

I was waiting for my wife at the finish of a marathon and watched some dude cross the line in a sweaty white tank that had blood trails emanating from his nipples that went all the way down to the bottom of his shirt... Basically you could hear the entire crowd do that teeth-clenched-grimace-sudden-intake-of-breath…

Still remember the plane captain coming on the intercom when landing in Singapore... “if you are in possession of illegal drugs or do not have prescriptions for all pills you are carrying that are stronger than aspirin, we recommend that you do not exit the airplane.” If I’m recalling correctly, Singapore also has a…

Pressure cooker is the way that they recommend making stock in Modernist Cuisine as well (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/din…).

The users of most professional cabinet shops (and prosumer woodshops) differentiate between “dust collection,” which is done for health reasons and involves filtering very fine particles you can’t really see, and “chip collection,” which is done to keep things tidy by collecting sawdust and chips. While most dust…

The cartridge filters aren’t all that expensive—probably the same as a pack of 10 of the paper ones. They are much more durable, more comfortable (in my view) and provide a better seal around your face. This is what I’m thinking about:

Notwithstanding my other comment regarding the efficacy of this system as a dust collection system to mitigate health concerns, I actually like the basic idea for a small shop purely from the perspective of keeping things tidy and relatively clean. That said, there is a major improvement I’d suggest if you decide to…

Ignore my other comment. I just watched the whole thing—yeah, that outlet needs a cover. I also don’t like his wiring on the plug because the insulation on the Romex is cut past the strain relief on the plug itself. He really should have used multistrand wire for something attached to a plug anyway—romex goes in walls…

I’ve never bothered. You can’t ground plastic anyway—it isn’t conductive, so even if you run a wire to ground, you haven’t grounded it. The best you can do is run a wire through it, but I don’t believe that makes any sense either. Here’s some more reading for you:

Cyclones excel at separating things that are higher density. I would worry that chaff, being pretty light and floaty, wouldn’t get separated out. Since things are so localized with a popcorn popper and the chaff isn’t particularly fine, why not just use a normal vacuum? I also don’t think a vacuum will address the…