“To grow interested in any piece of information, we need somewhere to ‘put’ it, which means some way of connecting it to an issue we already know how to care about.”

— Alain de Botton

Whenever I start a new project, I always find myself digging around in my old magazines, books, and Internet bookmarks. There’s always a need to research for design inspiration, information on a new technique, of just for general construction details. Unfortunately, digging through all of the woodworking information that I’ve compiled over the years can be a slow and painful process. I decided to remedy this problem by building myself a searchable electronic woodworking reference archive.

Initial Setup
I had a few requirements for my system:

Must be accessible anywhere and on any device.
Everything I put into the archive, no matter the format, must be searchable.
Must have a simple, preferably effortless, method of adding new content to the archive.

Fortunately, these days we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to tools that can fulfill these three requirements. I chose Evernote, mainly because I already use Evernote for other note-taking needs. You don’t have to use Evernote, though; there are many other great options available. Check out Google Drive, Microsoft OneNote, and NeverNote as alternatives.

So what did I do to prepare Evernote for my new woodworking archive? Not much, really. I simply creating a notebook in Evernote called “Woodworking,” and then I took a break and went out for lunch.

Adding New Content
A woodworking archive isn’t worth much if it has no content. Over the years, I’ve amassed a sizable collection of magazines. These physical magazines have great information in them, but I can never find the article I’m looking for. Well, during the holiday season, I found some amazing deals on electronic collections of magazine back issues that I just couldn’t turn down. I picked up the complete catalog of Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking, Woodworking Magazine, Woodwork Magazine, and American Woodworker.

Unfortunately, I don’t have many woodworking books in electronic form. When I buy new books, I try to buy both the physical book and an electronic copy as a bundle. I like to have the physical book for actual reading purposes, but having a searchable electronic version is a huge bonus.

Finally, web content is the largest growing segment of my archive. Blog posts, videos, images, and audio files can all be organized, tagged, and uploaded to the woodworking archive for later access.

Uploading physical files was easy to automate. I created some sync folders on my hard drive and assigned Hazel rules to monitor them. Whenever Hazel sees a new file appear in one of the sync folders, it creates a new Evernote note in my Evernote “Woodworking” notebook, uploads the file to that note, tags it appropriately, and then moves the physical file over to my backup drive. These rules took care of all of my existing magazine back issues and books. When I get a new issue of a magazine or a new book, I just drop the file into the appropriate sync folder and magic happens.

Adding web content to my archive is even easier via Evernote’s web clipper. Any content of interest in the browser can be clipped to Evernote and tagged properly, and it even automatically records the source link in the note for later reference. The web clipper works on computers, phones, and tablets.

Using the Archive
At the most basic level, having all of my content in Evernote allows me to access it from anywhere on any device. That’s useful, but the real power here lies in Evernote’s advanced search capabilities. Evernote uses OCR to make everything searchable. All of those PDF files of my books and magazines that I uploaded? I can search inside of all of those files. Text in image files? I can search that, too. The custom tags on my notes add an additional level of search-ability, as well.

My setup in Evernote is just one of dozens of possible ways to implement a searchable woodworking archive. I’m offering it here as an example because I’ve gotten a lot of value from it in the short time that it’s been up and running. I’ve compiled images of inspiration pieces, quickly created a list of relevant articles regarding a new technique that I’d like to try, and I’ve even dug up some interesting reading that I wouldn’t have been able to find any other way. I’m sure many of you have just as much, or more, woodworking information scattered around on your computer. It’s time to organize it and put it to work.

Editorial

Buy Your First Tool First

Dave Noftz · November 13, 2015

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

— Confucius

Dear novice woodworker,

Starting out in this hobby is like standing at the edge of a sprawling valley. Your path runs downward and splits off in all directions, providing limitless possibilities. Choosing some tools is the first fork that you’ll encounter as you walk along this path. If you turn to the woodworking community for tool recommendations, you’ll hear the phrase, “buy your last tool first.” This well-intentioned, but misguided, advice is repeated in podcasts, forums, magazines, and blog posts by experienced woodworkers who have forgotten what it was like to be a newbie. They look back along the path they’ve traveled and see a straight line; the forks, twists, and turns that they encountered along the way are hidden by the mists of time.

“Buy your last tool first” is such a popular phrase because when an experienced woodworker looks back at their tool purchases, they see that money could have been saved by avoiding the “starter tool” purchases and jumping straight to the “wish list tool.” This type of data mining paints a false picture, however, because it advocates making important decisions based on the isolation of a single variable (cost). Take a step back for a second and sanity test the “buy your last X first” formula by applying it to other areas of your life. Did you buy your last house first? Did you buy your last car first? What about your mobile phone? Are you still rocking the iPhone 1 from 2008? How about your television? Computer? Lawnmower? Mailbox? Mattress? The real problem with the “buy your last X first” formula is that it’s built on three erroneous assumptions:

Your interests will never change or waiver.
You have unlimited funds available.
Technology will stop advancing once you complete your purchase.

The word “woodworking” represents a group of diverse disciplines: turning, timber framing, furniture making, trim carpentry, carving, etc. Until you dig in and build something, you have no way of knowing where your interests will lead you. A 20” stationary planer is an impressive machine, but I guarantee that you’ll have a serious case of buyer’s remorse when you discover that you’re primarily interested in turning. Beware of anyone who advises you to “buy your last tool first” because you can always sell it later. This advice comes from people who are looking for a screaming deal on a used tool. Selling a large woodworking tool is a pain in the neck, and you’ll lose money on the transaction. No one is going to pay you anything near retail for a second-hand tool, even if it’s lightly used. My recommendation is to buy an inexpensive tool first, learn to use it properly, and learn what you do and do not like about it. Build some projects and discover where your true interest lies before dropping a large amount of money on the ultimate power tool.

Speaking of money, do you have enough to outfit an entire workshop with wish list tools? If so, please shoot me an email because I want to be your friend. If you’re like the rest of us 99%-ers, however, I’m guessing that you have a fairly strict budget for your brand new hobby. One of the reasons people are hesitant to jump into woodworking is the erroneous belief that it requires a massive upfront investment to get started. The “buy your last tool first” mantra just feeds this myth. You can do great work with a small investment in some simple tools. As your skills grow, you’ll become more educated in what tooling is important for your work and what can be left behind.

I bought my 3 HP Delta Unisaw back in 2005. It’s a powerful cabinet saw and I love using it. At the time, I remember thinking, “this is the last table saw I’ll ever need to buy.” After all, cabinet saws had remained relatively unchanged since the 1920s. Why would I need to buy another one? And then, in 2006, riving knives became standard equipment on new saws, and Sawstop appeared on the market. New technology ushered in desirable safety features that suddenly made my saw look like a stepping stone instead of my “final tool.” Does this make me love my current saw any less? No, not at all. But it does open up the possibility of upgrading sometime in the future, so be aware that even when you think you’re buying your last tool, you might not be.

So what now? Don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed; we’ve all been there. It’s time to jump in with both feet and get started. Buy your first tool first, build something cool, and let’s see where the path leads you.

Project

Stickley Tabouret - Part 5 (Final)

Dave Noftz · October 19, 2015

The tabouret in its final resting place, patiently awaiting the first of many Dr Peppers that will rest upon its surface.

Finishing the tabouret was straightforward. I applied three coats of a wiping varnish to the piece, sanding lightly between coats. After the final coat dried, I took a piece of 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and dragged it lightly across the surface once in each direction. I didn’t apply any pressure to the sandpaper when I did this, I just let the paper do the work. This process gave me a smooth final finish by gently knocking down any dust nibs that may have formed in the topcoat.

Two screws aligned with the grain are enough to hold the top in place.

I attached the top to the base with two countersunk #8 screws in the top stretcher that runs with the grain. My original plan was to include two additional screws countersunk in slots in the stretcher running across the grain; the slots would allow for wood movement. In the end, however, I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort. In a table this small, the only reason to include the two additional screws would be an attempt hold the top flat. But, since the base of the table is so lightweight, if the top wanted to cup it would most likely wrack the base out of square, causing the whole table to wobble like a drunken sailor. Therefore, I stuck with just the two screws. This method allows the top to expand and contract freely and if it were to cup (which I don’t believe it will), the base would remain square.

Project

Stickley Tabouret - Part 4

Dave Noftz · October 5, 2015

Final edge profile of the top.

Gluing up the base of the tabouret required some advance planning. It may look simple, but there are 10 joints to worry about here. To reduce the complexity, I decided to glue up the half-lap joints first. Once that was done, the rest of the assembly only required two clamps since the dovetails on the top stretchers are self-clamping. Looking closely at the Stickley catalog page from 1909, I can see that the mortise-and-tenon joints were pinned, or possibly drawbored, but I didn’t bother. This is a light duty table and the mortise-and-tenon joints alone are more than strong enough.

While the glue on the base was drying, I turned my attention to the top. I’ve had a beautiful figured 4/4 cherry board sitting on my lumber rack for years waiting for the right project to come along. The board itself was about 8” wide, but it had a strip of sapwood on one side that limited the usable width in places. I cut three lengths, milled them flat and square, and glued them into a single blank that measured approximately 20” x 20”. I’ll admit that I went overboard on the clamps and cauls during the glue-up, but I wanted to maintain as much thickness as possible, so I tried to avoid the need for excessive post-glue-up flattening. With patience, and some trial-and-error, I was able to get a nice grain match on the glue joints.

Three pieces were crosscut from the rough board...

...and were milled and glued up into a 20" x 20" blank.

I was shooting for a circular top with a diameter around 18”. Working on the underside of the blank, I tapped in a finish nail, tied a string around it, and traced out a circle slightly larger than my final dimension. I cut this out at the bandsaw, which left me with a vaguely circle-ish block of wood with a diameter around 18 1/4”. Next, I used a scrap piece of plywood to cobble together a circle jig for my router. One of the most challenging aspects of cutting a circle is securing the workpiece in such a way that it’s elevated off the bench with the entire 360 degree circumference unimpeded by clamps or other holding devices. I solved this problem by using some double-stick tape to secure a few scrap blocks to my bench, and then double-stick taping the workpiece to the blocks. I cut a “perfect” circle using the jig and a straight bit, and then added a wide chamfer all along the bottom edge using a bearing-guided bit.

A circle-ish object emerges from the bandsaw.

Cleaning up the edge of the circle after using the router circle jig.

While the resulting circle had a perfectly consistent diameter, the edge quality wasn’t pretty. There was some burning, some divots, a few areas of tearout, and a whole lot of roughness. I cleaned this mess up using a spokeshave, a card scraper, and some sandpaper. The spokeshave worked well, but I proceeded with caution. Since I was working on the circumference of a circle, the grain direction changed often. The tool itself would warn me when this happened by giving some chatter or a rough finish, and then I would change directions and continue on. In some cases, I couldn’t get a clean cut regardless of my direction or angle of attack, and that’s when the card scraper came in handy. I used the sandpaper to blend all the surfaces together.

Once I was satisfied with the quality of the edge, I cleaned up both sides of the top with a smoothing plane. I pulled the router out one more time to add a gentle round over to the top edge, and I blended everything together with 220 grit sandpaper. In the end, I’m happy with the way the top came out and I can’t wait to see how it looks with some finish on it, which will be the topic of the final post in this series.

Project

Stickley Tabouret - Part 3

Dave Noftz · September 24, 2015

Before I tackled the half-lap joints, I needed to address the curve on the bottom stretchers. The image in the Stickley catalog shows a graceful curve on both ends of the bottom stretchers, resulting in a corbel shape. There’s a couple of different approaches that one could take to layout and cut these curves. If I were building large batches of tabourets, I would create a template out of 1/4” MDF, rough cut the curve on both stretchers, and flush trim them with a router. I’m only building one tabouret, however, so I decided to skip the template step and just layout the curves directly on my workpiece.

The Stickley 603’s design is all about symmetry: identical legs stand across from one another and identical stretchers are half-lapped together exactly in the center of the base. Therefore, it’s important that all four curves on the bottom stretchers preserve this symmetry. I started by drawing a 1/2” square grid on both ends of one of the workpieces. On the right side of the workpiece, I used a french curve to find a pleasing arc and traced it onto my grid. I noted the key intersection points of the curve and plotted those onto the grid on the right side of the workpiece. Once those were in place, all I needed to do was connect the dots using my french curve and I was left with two symmetrical curves. I then double-stick taped the two stretchers together and headed over to the bandsaw.

No template needed.  Draw the curves directly on the workpiece. — No template needed. Draw the curves directly on the workpiece.

Of all the phases of a woodworking project, I find none more terrifying than shaping a workpiece on which I’ve already cut, fitted, and perfected joinery. So, as usual, my heart jumped into my throat as I made that first tentative cut on the bandsaw, but, like that first scratch on a new car, once that was over with I stopped worrying and just got on with it. Smoothing the curve was quick work with a spokeshave, a card scraper, and some sandpaper. After I carefully pried the workpieces apart and removed the tape, I had two identically shaped lower stretchers.

Cutting half-lap joints is all about proper layout. On this piece, layout is even more critical because if the joint is even slightly off-center, the base will be impossible to assemble. Each leg was assigned a number: 1, 2, 3, and 4, and each dovetail and tenon was labeled with the number of the leg they were fitted to. When laying out the joints, I needed to ensure that I half-lapped the top and bottom stretchers together in the same configuration or I would suffer great heartache. To cut the joints, I started by drawing the centerlines in both the X and Y axes on all four stretchers. Using the centerlines and a combination square for alignment, I used the workpieces themselves to layout the joints. When I cut half-laps, I totally understand what Michelangelo was getting at: you just need to chop away the wood that doesn’t look like a half-lap joint. I know it sounds stupid, but it really is that easy. I used the bandsaw to cut the shoulders and remove the bulk of the waste, and my trusty router plane brought all the joints to a consistent depth. Boom, done! If you find that your joints are a little too tight, use a smoothing plane to slim down the stretcher, taking equal passes on each side. Don’t muck around with trimming the shoulders of your mortises with a chisel… you’ll just create gaps in the joint.

In the next installment, I’ll glue up the base and get started on the top. I have a curly cherry board with some beautiful grain that will make an excellent top for this piece.

A Woodworking Archive

Buy Your First Tool First

Stickley Tabouret - Part 5 (Final)

Stickley Tabouret - Part 4

Stickley Tabouret - Part 3