Exciting news! There’s a new woodworking show coming to the internet in September called ‘Into The Workshop’. This is an independent production brought to you by the combined forces of three outstanding woodworkers, John Sillaots, Ken Tunnard and myself, Gord Graff.

Follow this link to the show’s video trailer……http://blip.tv/file/942711/

John Sillaots you may remember as host of ‘In The Workshop’ an HGTV production. John has written many articles for a variety of publications and continues to travel across Canada doing presentations on a variety of topics from home renos to woodworking. John is well known for inspiring do-it-yourselfers and is looking forward to sharing his many tips with you.

Ken Tunnard is a professional woodworker, author and instructor with an artistic talent for creating classic pieces with unconventional detailing. His well planned projects often include turnings, veneers and steam bending – talk about pushing the inspirational button!!

And, of course, there’s me Gord Graff, a woodworking instructor, author and pod caster, with a special interest in woodworking jigs. It’s been said that my success lies in the ability to combine a woodworking talent with an artistic flair. I am passionately creative and am looking forward to demystifying the woodworking experience with you.

I’ll be in great company hosting along side John and Ken. The combined woodworking talent, experience, passion and commitment that we all share will be entertaining as well as an inspiration to all who are interested in woodworking regardless of skill level. We are committed to delivering ‘Into The Workshop’ in an honest, up-beat and positive manner.

Watch for upcoming information about start dates and show times and if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at gordgraff@rogers.com

Get ready to clear off your workbench ‘Into The Workshop’ is just around the corner.

All the best
Gord

Hello All,

Yes it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down at the computer and to say I’ve been very busy is an understatement.

However, that being said, I come to you with a gift of sorts. It’s a four part video series that features the construction of a simple tall clock similar to the one I gave my youngest daughter and my son in law last year as a moving away gift. That particular clock is now featured in the June/July 2008 issue of Canadian Woodworking Magazine where you’ll find it featured on page 8.

If you are interested in the original, which by the way is seen in the video, you’ll have to run out and purchase the magazine where you’ll find all the particulars on its construction.

I’ve made several of these clocks out of different wood species and one with a stone face but the general construction is the same in all of them. It is a clock of my design and it was specifically designed with my daughter Jessica and my son in law Mike in mind.

By the way, this video was the very first video that I ever shot and it was shot last summer…………………….so please be kind. Things have come a long way since that time and they’re only getting better.

The following link will take you to the four part video series which is archived on Blip TV…………..
http://gordgraff.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc

I’ve embedded “Part 1” of the 4 part series below, for the remaining 3 parts of the series, click on the link above.

All the best
Gord

Here is part 2 of the Pine Hall Mirror project and if you think I never make a mistake when it comes to building a project, you’d be wrong. I made a minor one here on this project and I’m going to show it to you with the hope that you don’t make the same one.

I’ve also finished this project with my all time favourite finish for pine but you’ll have to wait until the end of the video to see what it is.

I hope you’ve had as much fun watching this project as I have presenting it to you.

You can view part 2 of this video here…… http://gordgraff.blip.tv/file/711381/

All the best
Gord

A number of years ago when pine furniture was the “in thing”, I was asked to design and build a hall mirror that was not only practical but also visually appealing. After a number of designs I came up with the one you see below. I made dozens and dozens of these mirrors that were sold through a couple of stores in downtown Toronto.

The challenge for me at the time was keeping my costs down while producing a marketable product. I designed this mirror to be made from those inexpensive ($2 each) 12”X12” mirrors that can be found at any big bulk store and a single 1”X10” X6’ pine board. With these two rather inexpensive elements and a few shaker pegs, I was able to keep my costs down while maximizing profits.

At the time I was making these mirrors my mother in law couldn’t stand the look of them but something changed in way of thinking and now she just has to have one, go figure. So why don’t you come along with me and watch how a couple of cheap mirrors and a single pine board can be transformed into something that appealed to many people, now including my mother in law.

This is a 2 part video (part 2 next week), part one deals with design and the construction of the mirror frame itself, part 2 covers the rest of the construction and my favourite finish for smaller pine pieces like this one. I’m going through “growing pains” in this video dealing with video mikes but I promise to have those bugs ironed out before long, your patience is appreciated while I get a handle on this.

You can view part one here, on Blip TV. http://blip.tv/file/688794/ or watch it below, hope you like it.

All the best
Gord

PINE HALL MIRROR (PART 1)

Well, here’s Part 2 of this two part video on making a shop built mitre gauge. In this video I’ll show you how I built the mitre gauge body and attached it to the mitre gauge bar to form an accurate, inexpensive mitre gauge.

I’ll also cover “dialing in” that shop built mitre gauge to your existing mitre slot no matter what machine you’re using it for. Once you’ve seen how to do this, you’ll be able to “dial in” your mitre gauge to within one thousandth of an inch………………….how’s that for accuracy?

And for those who have a mitre gauge bar that is equipped with 3 set screws for achieving virtually no play in the mitre slot………………..check out the ending of the video.

Click the link to watch this video on Blip TV. http://gordgraff.blip.tv/#678818

All the best
Gord

Have you ever needed an extra mitre gauge for your table saw, band saw, router table or disc sander and didn’t want to spend the bucks to buy one, well have I got good news for you.

In part one of this two part video I’ll show you how to use a few simple metal working techniques (yes, that’s right, metal working techniques) to create a shop built mitre gauge that is extremely accurate and costs less than $10 to make.

Part one of this video is dedicated to working with the steel needed to make the mitre gauge bar, pivot point and locking knob. Believe me when I tell you that it’s not that difficult because it really isn’t. We are woodworkers so working with this stuff is a breeze, right?

Part two of this video (coming soon) will show you how to make the mitre gauge body and tie the two pieces together to form an accurate, inexpensive mitre gauge. Part two will also cover “dialling in” that mitre gauge to your existing mitre slot no matter what machine you’re using it for. Once you’ve seen how to do this, you’ll be able to “dial in” your mitre gauge to within one thousandth of an inch………………….how’s that for accuracy?

This is a 2 part video version of a written post I did awhile back found here http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/Gord/blog/2052 but because of numerous emails about that post I decided to commit the topic to video.

All the best
Gord

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been able to sit down in front of the computer both physically and mentally.
I’m out of the woods now………………………......... so let’s get at it.

Here’s a simple “how-to” video on eliminating those nasty black stains on wood panels during glue ups, I hope you like it and let me know what you think.

Just follow the link below and don’t forget to turn up the volume, I sound good in stereo, my looks however, I’ll have to work on.

Oh and by the way, many thanks to all my friends for their support…………………..I didn’t know I had so many friends.
I truly am a blessed man.

P.S. If anyone can help me embed this video into this post, I’d be a happy camper.

All the best
Gord

http://gordgraff.blip.tv/file/641891/

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been able to sit down in front of the computer both physically and mentally.
I’m out of the woods now………………………......... so let’s get at it.

Here’s a simple “how-to” on eliminating those nasty black stains on wood panels during glue ups, I hope you like it.

Oh and by the way, many thanks to all my friends for their support…………………..I didn’t know I had so many friends.
I truly am a blessed man.

All the best
Gord

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Feather boards have been around in one form or another for a long time and for most woodworkers they are invaluable. It’s like having a second or third pair of hands that never get tired. Below are two methods that I’ve used to make feather boards over the years, one is a band saw method and the other is a table saw method.

The feather board below is typical of what you’ll find in your local woodworking store, it does the job but we can improve on it greatly.

First, I start with a pair of “blanks” that will eventually be made into feather boards. The first blank is a piece of Maple, ¾”X 7 ½”X 28”, I’ll use this blank to cut a feather board on the band saw. The second blank is a piece of Beech 1 ½”X 5 ½”X 22” and I’ll use the table saw method to cut the fingers for this one.

I start by cutting the ends of the blanks at a 30 degree angle on the table saw or the miter saw.

A square line is drawn across the blanks 1 ½” in from the shortest leg of the blank. This tells me where to stop the saw blade on either the band saw or the table saw. This line indicates the length of the “fingers” of the feather board. The next thing I need is a gauge stick, the one I’m using is a ¾”X 5/16”X 24” and can be made from any scrap lying around the shop. Using this thickness of gauge stick will create a 3/16” thick finger with the thin kerf saw blade that’s in the saw. When used on the band saw, this gauge stick will create a ¼” finger. Different thicknesses of this gauge stick will produce different thicknesses of fingers.

I place the Beech blank against the fence of the table saw and slide the fence over so that there is a ¼” between the fence and the blade. When this first cut is made, it will become the first or shortest finger of the feather board. The first finger is cut to the line and the saw is turned off while the stock is held in place.

With the saw shut off, I now move the fence over enough to place the gauge stick in between the stock and the fence and lock the fence in this position. I remove the gauge stick, retract the stock from the blade and place the stock against the fence and cut the next finger. This is continued until the width of the feather board is cut. The next three photos should give you an idea of the process.

Once the feather board’s fingers are cut I now draw a line across the width of the board 1” below the stop point of the cut fingers. This line represents the length of the saw’s cut on the underside of the blank.

Even with the saw blade raised to its maximum height, it still cuts farther on the underside of the blank by 1”. The band saw method does not have this undercutting issue.

The Bandsaw Method….........................................................................................

The band saw method of cutting the fingers is almost the same as the table saw method except I prefer to start with the longest finger first. The rest is pretty much straight forward and the following photos show that.

I now mark both the blanks with a straight line across the width, the Maple blank needs a line ¾” from the base of the fingers and the Beech blank requires a line ¾” past the line previously marked, indicating the undercut from the table saw blade. A ¼”X 4” groove is routed through both blanks, 2 ½” from the bottom edge for the Maple blank and 1 ¼” from the bottom edge for the Beech blank. This groove will allow the completed feather board to adjust on the saw by means of a ¼”X20 machine screw, more on that later.

To secure the feather board in the miter slot of the table saw, a hardwood runner must be made. Here I’ve used Oak to produce the 12” hardwood runner that’s been milled to a thickness of 3/8” and a width of ¾”, a perfect fit for the table saw’s miter slot. The runner is drilled with a ¼” brad point bit in the center of the runner, marked with a line through the center 2” on either side of the center hole and counter sunk with an appropriate bit. A narrow jig saw blade is then used to cut the line through the runner to a length of 4”. The accompanying photos show the stages that the runner goes through, the top runner in the photo being the first step and followed by the next and so on.

The following photo show what the completed hardwood runner should look like. When the large jig nut is tightened down on the feather board, the head of the ¼”X 20 machine screw is forced up into the runner spreading the runner against the sides of the miter slot, locking it in place.

Looking at the completed feather board you can see that not only does it have the same adjustability as the store bought feather board but the shop made feather board has the ability to be clamped to the saw, something missing in the store bought one. Two points of fixation are a lot more desirable than the single point that the store bought feather board offers.

I’ve made dozens of feather boards over the years and I like these two the best.

I hope that somewhere down the line this information will be of help to someone. I’m always on the hunt for ways of improving my feather board collection and I doubt that I’ll stop here, it’s an ongoing process.

All the best
Gord

I cannot believe what a warm welcome this simple woodworker has received here at Lumberjocks. To say that I’m flattered by your hospitality is an understatement, thank you one and all for all your kind words and comments.

Woodworking has opened many doors for me over the years and I’m grateful to this craft for that and I’m proud to say that I’m a woodworker. I only hope that I can give back some of which has been given to me.

So, let’s get off the couch and let’s get at it…..........................

All the best
Gord