Thomas J MacDonald DVD Series Project 1 - The Toolbox

I’d like to review a 2 DVD set that was created by Major League Woodworking by Thomas MacDonald. Tommy is a member of LumberJocks. He also has his own Web Site majorleaguewoodworking.com On the web he has forums where you can post questions and also your projects that you’ve created at mlwwoodworking.com/forum

This DVD is making an item called “The Toolbox” Project 1. I’m assuming that this is going to be a series of woodworking projects all created by Tommy.

In his easy going style you become immersed in the creation of this beautiful Curly Cherry toolbox. He starts with wood selection to prepare you with the idea of making something that all flows together in grain and color matching. He talks about the making of the case where the grain flows from one side, over the top and down the other side. Keeping all of the grain flowing.

The drawer fronts and dividers are all made from the same pieces of wood so that the grain flows from one drawer to another

The DVD contains the project sheet as a PDF that can be printed. It contains the tool list so you will know what tools you need to tell your wife you will have to buy in order to make this Tool Box /alias Jewelry Box. It also gives you the parts list for all the parts needed for the case.

Some key points that he covers is Dovetailing, Mortise and tenon, press in drawers, grain selection, ship lap back. Tommy also talks about a spring joint on edge gluing boards. I’ve always heard it called Sprung Joint. A buddy of mine has a 12” Jointer (old big iron) and it has a lever on the outfeed table to make a sprung joint. Tommy does his with a hand plane.

This DVD is not a hand hold working you through all of the steps. He assumes that you know how to use a saw, jointer and planer. He may show you on the first board and then he comes back with all of them machined.

He does get into detail on Dovetailing both through and half blind.

The DVD flows from board selection and layout, milling, case work, dividers, drawers. The finish is BLO and sprayed shellac and then wax. From the beginning down through the end.

It was a very enjoyable DVD class, From Tommy not liking glue on his fingers, to cutting himself with a coping saw, to complaining with his help about the glue bottle being hard to squeeze. This was almost like live TV. No retakes, you make a problem then you fix it.

Not woodworking 101, but a technical step by step of making some beautiful casework.

I’m looking forward to the entire series. This DVD is available in his online store.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †