In this video I show how I reinforced the 5 gallon bucket lid that I mount the Dust Deputy to.

In Episode 28 I gave information to help the woodworkers decide which shop vacuum size might be the best to use with the Dust Deputy.

Here are the last 2 videos:

Episode 27: Dust Deputy Review

Episode 28: Choosing A Vac For The Dust Deputy

I hope you enjoy and find it informative.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

​​Even if you are not planning on using a Dust Deputy, you might find the information helpful in your decision to buy a shop vacuum.

If you have not seen how effective it is, check out my previous video where I review the Dust Deputy.​

I do not usually save bloopers or even load them in the computer. Normally I delete them in the camera to save memory and reduce the files for editing. But I decided to save one for you at the end of the video:)

​I hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful.

​Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

You can see my Dust Deputy review here.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

The latest issue of America’s Best Workshops 2013 hits the shelf on March 26, ​and the American Craftsman Workshop has been included!

Rather than being one of the featured shops, I actually have 4 pages of tips that other woodworkers might find helpful. The article is titled “Pro Ideas for Your Shop.”

All images used with permission of WOOD Magazine & America’s Best Home Workshops 2013

4 Gold Nuggets From The ACW

​In the article I share 4 things from my shop:

• My wall storage system for clamps. It is flexible mounting system, easily customized to your clamps, and it does a nice job of protecting the walls. Technical drawings included.

• ​My Workbench – You don’t have to build a traditional workbench to do great woodworking. This is the workbench I have been using for many years. It’s flat, it’s mobile, and has a very durable surface that you can use to write on. Technical drawing is included.

• How I converted my roller stands to a more usable indeed/outfeed and table system. A flexible support system that breaks down and stores away easily.

• And this one is GOLD! I share the miter saw table system that I use on job sites. WOOD Magazine has included my miter saw support table complete with technical drawings so you can make one too.

This miter saw table provides great support which is critical for accurate cuts on the job site and it will work great for the small shop too. It features a laminate top which you can jot notes & measurements on, then wipe clean. It sets up and breaks down easily. It stores well in my work van and it should in the small garage shop too.

It’s Always One Of My Favorite!​

Getting to look inside of other workshops is always fun for me, and so the annual “Best Workshops” issue is always one of my favorite magazines to pick up.

Besides the pages of tips from the ACW, there are 18 shops featured that range in size from 112 to 1440 square feet. You get a good look inside the shops and will be able to pick up some great ideas for yours. ​

Included in this issue is the Ideas Gallery on page 71, an ingenious knock-down bench on page 110, and ​an article on designing your shop with various layout software. There are many other great features in the 2013 issue of America’s Best Home Workshops magazine, so you will have to pick up a copy and check it out for yourself.

All images used with permission of WOOD Magazine & America’s Best Home Workshops 2013

You will also find my good friend, LJ member, and fellow woodworking blogger Marc Spagnuolo in this issue. He is a part of the shop design article starting on page 134. Great to share this issue with you Marc;)​

​America’s Best Home Workshops hits the stands on March 26th and will be on display only until June 24th. Be sure to check it out!

Your friend in the shop,​

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

Hey Guys!

I wanted to let everyone know that friend and fellow LumberJock member Andy Chidwick an article in the most recent issue of Woodworker West.

Andy designs and builds a lot of sculptural furniture pieces, and he teaches others how to do so as well. Currently he is traveling with the Woodworker Shows and giving seminars on designing and building sculptural furniture.

Images used with permission of Andy Chidwick

Andy’s article starts on page 36 and titled “Intro To Sculpted Furniture” and it covers the basic tools needed and some of the fundamental principles for using them. It is pretty interesting if you have been considering getting into sculpted furniture.

But WAIT!....There’s MORE!

Woodworker West is a magazine that does a nice job of covering woodworking artists. Many of you have probably not heard of it because it is focused on the western region of the U.S.

Images used with permission of Woodworker West

You should check out the rest of the magazine. One thing that really impresses me is that they have a lot of information of various exhibitions and galleries. If you are interested in trying to show your work, it is really a go-to magazine for that locations and dates of exhibitions.

On page 34 is a 2 page answer and question session with David J. Marks you might enjoy. And they have a lot of savory pictures of some great work by talented artists.

One more thing you might find interesting, they have back issues available. There are 2 issues that woodworkers continually request; the memorial issues for Sam Maloof and James Krenov. So if you are interested in getting a copy check out the Woodworker West Magazine.

Well, I just wanted to share this with the LJ community. It is always fun to see a friend and LJ member get published.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

First I want to say thanks for all the feedback I got from everyone. Especially for the many comments that came to me via the Contact form from my site. It really helped knowing that it worked and people were taking the opportunity to use it.

I took many comments into consideration and have adjusted the site according to some of the suggestions, especially in making changes that should make the pages load faster.

I still have a lot more to add to the site, but I have a good basic site up and more detailed content will be coming.

That means detailed progress photos of projects with construction information, for now it is the most simple photos – no descriptions.

So if you can check out the new updates and give more feedback I would really appreciate it. Test drive it on every device you have.

For feedback you can post here or use the Contact page, always let me know what device you are viewing the site on if there is an issue. Collectively, all the data is important if I need to report an issue to Squarespace.

Thanks to everyone at LJ for helping me improve my site.

Check it out here: AmericanCraftsmanWorkshop.com

Your friend in the shop -

Todd A. Clippinger
Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

Everybody’s shop space is different but I hope that it will inspire ideas for your workshop.

Look for the new issue of America’s Best Workshops 2013 to be released at the end of March, my shop is among those featured with a 4 page spread.

Check out my new shop page here: American Craftsman Workshop

I think you will find the shop tour page rich with visual information.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger
Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

I have been very busy between working on my client’s projects, squeezing in a project for another contractor, and rebuilding my website.

As if that wasn’t enough, I decided to shoot a video to share with you what my favorite tool ​is for scraping off dried or semi-dried glue as I worked on one of those projects.

I am really excited to bring another video to the woodworking and DIY community, so I hope you enjoy and find it helpful.​

​Your friend in the shop,

​Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

I have been working hard on my site so I can better “Share the Love~Share the Knowledge” and so I have switched my site to a new platform and am on my 3rd template as I try to see what will fit my needs the best.

I still have a lot of work to do as far as adding project galleries. I will probably continue to change some details like color, but the format is what I am focused on for now. I just wanted to get the right template and basic layout going before I put too much time into the detail.

Every time I switch templates, I have to adjust everything to fit it since each has it’s own default settings. Therefore, I wanted to keep the site minimal while I settled on a template and the format. Otherwise it is too much to continually change.

My goal is for a clean, functional site.

Let me know what you think.

The American Craftsman Workshop website.

Thanks for your help.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

THE BAD NEWS IS…​

​Sadly, my workshop gallery is down for the moment. The new template was incompatible with previous gallery, so I will have to completely repost the shop tour. I know by the website stats, the workshop tour is the most popular feature and the pictures are downloaded constantly. And that is OK, that is exactly what it is intended for, to share and inspire, that is what the ACW philosophy of “Share the Love-Share the Knowledge” is all about.

Due to the time consuming work of loading galleries, I will hold off until I determine which template I am going to settle on. Some features are specific to templates and that mostly applies to the way galleries are laid out and function. ​So I will need to make my final decision between the last 2 template finalists.

NOW – STREAMING LIVE VIDEO!​

One new page I have set up is the Streaming Live page. I have embedded my Ustream video and if I am working in the shop and streaming, you can stop by and see what is happening.

If you stop by, you might catch me sharing directly with the viewers to give some tips and techniques as I work on a live project. And sometimes I am just jammin’ to the shop stereo and knockin’ the project out. ​Either way, you are sure to glean some information as I share or you just watch the action.

​

STAY TUNED-​

Stay tuned as you will see the changes taking place and more content being added. And be sure to stop by, test drive the site and let me know if there are any issues.

I will continue tweaking the site, add the ACW Shop Tour back in, and get my portfolio gallery set up. I did not add my portfolio on the last site, but I will on this one. ​(It is partly due to just being plain time consuming and it is one area that I actually slacked on.)

Well, I better get back out to the shop. So be sure to stop by the Streaming Live page and see what I have going in my small pro shop.

Your friend in the shop,​

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love-Share the Knowledge

Be sure to head to the Woodworking Shows to see a great furniture maker, LumberJock member, and my good friend, Andy Chidwick. Andy teaches sculpted furniture techniques in Stephensville, Montana and he will be giving seminars at The Woodworking Shows.

Not only does Andy have a great talent for designing and building furniture, he is a skilled teacher when it comes to sharing the knowledge with others. He is truly another “Share the Love~Share the Knowledge” kind of guy.

Andy’s work is displayed in various galleries, and most recently, Andy and I both participated in a fine woodworking exhibition at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. In fact, one of the chairs he had on display at the museum, is on tour with him now and you will be able to see it for yourself.

So, for all my woodworking friends in central Ohio, be sure to get to the Ohio Expo Center this weekend and say “Hi” to fellow LJ member Andy, and catch one of his informative seminars on making sculpted furniture. He is a great guy and willing to share all kinds of woodworking information.

There are some other great woodworkers and teachers at The Woodworking Shows. Furniture makers and master woodworkers Chuck Bender from Acanthus Workshop and Paul Sellers who founded the New Legacy School of Woodworking. Wood Magazine is represented by editor and instructor Jim Heavey. These are just a few of the talented woodworkers that you will see at The Woodworking Shows in Columbus. Dang – I wish I was back in Ohio for this weekend!

Here’s the 411:

Location – Ohio Expo Center Voinovich Trade Center

717 East 17th Ave, Columbus, OH 43211

Dates – Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3

Times – Friday 12-6 / Saturday 10-6 / Sunday 10-4

For more information visit TheWoodworkingShows.com.

Until next time – be safe in your own shop!

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

Everybody’s needs are different, but I hope that sharing these tips will help inspire solutions for your needs when handling & transporting projects.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

This video is “quick & dirty” because I wanted to try recording it on my iPhone. I don’t see myself doing that again, but the information is still good and clear.

I hope you find it helpful.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger Share the Love ~ Share the Knowledge

I could have made a 2 minute video that shows me applying a piece with an iron and trimming the excess, but that can leave a person with a lot of questions.

In these videos, you not only get the information and a good demonstration, but plenty of peripherial information so you can dive into it with confidence for a variety of situations and knowing how to deal with imperfections.

The information in these videos is geared to the beginner and small shop or DIY individual. Because not everyone has heavy equipment like a pro cabinet shop to accomplish these tasks, but I know you can get great results with this information.

I have posted part 1 again for anyone who has missed it. The footage was all recorded at the same time so part 2 is a true continuation of the first video.

Melamine Part 2: Apply Edge Banding

Melamine Part 1: Getting Clean Cuts

I hope you find these helpful and informative.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

I installed the Ustream app on my iPhone and I am playing with live feeds from the shop.

I will not really be able to do both work on milling and answer questions so this is just some action live from the shop. I may be able to interject some points every now and then.

Live broadcast start time is 7pm MTN.

This is just me trying to Share the Love~Share the Knowledge Live!

You may leave comments & suggestions as I try to figure this out.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

UPDATE 8pm MTN:

My iPhone battery died so I am going in for a while to see my wife and let it charge back up. I will be back out later to do some more.

I plan on testing this out and am looking at other camera options for streaming on a more consistent basis.

Thanks for your patience and input.

UPDATE 10pm MTN

This time I am trying out a webcam. Limited mobility compared to the iPhone but no issues to deal with battery life on iPhone nor calls/texts interrupting the stream.

Broadcasting live with Ustream

Project Background

If you are watching streaming video on this page it is most likely for a rustic office project. The cabinets I am making are for a timber frame house and I am utilizing beams left over from the construction of the house.

The beams started out as 10”x10” with a few 12”x12” and mostly 12’ (+) long. There were a few 14’ and some that were cut shorter. I started milling the beams and air drying them in December of 2009. The moisture content was between 21% – 28% with most around 24%. Furniture and cabinet grade material needs to be between 5%-8% moisture content to reduce movement. After 3 years I have finally been getting material at that level.

In the following pics you can see the beams as I have been taking them down in stages for stability. The Sketchup drawings also show the concept of the cabinets that we are building.

You never know the connections that might be made from being in a show, exhibition, or getting published. It seems like it is never is a straight line in arriving to that point nor where you may go from there. It is more like a spider web of connections and interconnections.

Since being included in the fine woodworking exhibition at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, I have all sorts of emails and contacts that have come my direction. One of them was from the executive editor of Thrillist.com. It is an online source for articles covering what’s cool and happening in the world of art, entertainment, food, and products. In their own words “Thrillist Sifts Through The Crap…to find the best new spots to eat, drink and shop in your ‘hood.”

People travel, and so does the executive editor of Thrillist, who lives in New York City. While visiting his family in Bozeman, MT he stopped in to see the fine woodworking exhibition at the Museum of the Rockies and was impressed enough that he had to give it some exposure in the Thrillist.com website.

I am one of the 6 artists shown in the article for my prairie chandelier. The picture included in the article was an image that shows the inspiration, conception, and final project.

Not long after the article was released, a man from Cleveland contacted me because he recognized the stairwell tower, and could not believe that it provided inspiration for such a fine project. He asked if I had contacted the architect that designed the structure, which I have not, I do not even know who the designer is. There certainly is potential to make more valuable contacts if I pursue this.

The Gold Nugget For Today

Here is the gold nugget for woodworkers that ask me “how do you do it?” This whole situation, including how I got in the exhibition, is the result of a series of connections and interconnections being made. It is the reward for a lot of effort and time invested in the shop building projects and then making connections to show people my work. It takes the ability to recongize an opportunity, and it takes effort to take advantage of it.

I will also admit, that it takes a bit of luck in making just the right connections, but that still does not happen without putting forth the effort.

What’s Good For One Is Good For Us All

I thought it was pretty cool not only to be included in the online article, but the fact that the world of fine woodworking and design got a boost from a main-stream source that is not just focused and centered on woodworking, which is usually the case. It helps to spark interest in the art of fine woodworking and keep it alive.

Check out the article at Thrillist.com, and also see what else they may have that might interest you. Thanks to the guys at Thrillist for giving the craft of fine woodwork & design the exposure!

Now it’s time to get motivated and get moving out to the shop to build something!

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

Since my last post about showing in the fine woodworking exhibition with my Frank Lloyd Wright inspired prairie chandelier, the Museum of the Rockies has posted the artists’ audio interviews online. You will find them at the Museum of the Rockies website.

To hear an artist’s audio recording, just click on their name. Each person tells a little about themselves and the work they have on display.

Here is a list of the artists I am showing with at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT. There are a couple of guys that do not have websites, otherwise I tried to make a hot link to all the websites for each person.

Scott Armstrong - Arrowleaf Studio - Powell, Wy

Ron Benoit - Woodensound - Preston, ID

Nick Boynton - Nick Boynton Furniture - Missoula, MT

Dave Carlson - Helena, MT

Tim Carney - Timothy's Fine Woodworking - Helena, MT

Andy Chidwick - Chidwick School - Stevensville, MT

Todd Clippinger - American Craftsman - Billings, MT

Jimmy Covert – Covert Workshops – Cody, WY

Paul Dumond - Dumond's Custom Furniture - Corvallis, MT

Gary Duval - Helena, MT

Troy Evans - Blockhorse Designs - Roundup, MT

John Gallis - Norseman Designs West - Cody, WY

Edward Grunseth - Kristian Brunsdale Innovative Woodworking - Wilsall, MT

Scot Herries - Scot Herries Furniture Maker - Missoula, MT

Jim Hoyne - High Altitude Woodworking - Big Sky, MT

Amber Jean - Livingston, MT

Doug LaMont - Billings, MT

Dan McArdle - Dan McArdle Woodcarving - Helena, MT

Scott Morrison - Montana Fine Woodworker - Columbus, MT

Philip Pontillo - Pontillo Furniture Concepts - Whitefish, MT

Mike Roths - Bear Paw Designs - Stevensville, MT

Diane Ross - Rustic Furniture - Willowcreek, MT

Charles Sallade – Red Lodge, MT

Al Swanson - Helena, MT

Rusty Viers - Montana Western Furniture - Livingston, MT

Just in case you don’t know them, Andy Chidwick and Scott Morrison are both LJ members. I think we might have set a record for the number of LJ members participating in a museum level show. I am pretty honored to be showing with Andy and Scott.

I hope you have time to hear the various artists’ audio recordings and to click through to their sites. It will give you a taste of the philosophies, sources of inspiration, and level of work it takes to get into a museum exhibition.

One more thing, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the latest issue of WOOD Magazine before it is gone. I am on page 48. I am one of four small pro shops giving tips on how to function in a small shop space.

Until next time, be safe in your own shop!
Todd A. Clippinger
Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

First, I joined LJ member Marc Spagnuolo at the WoodWhisperer Guild. You need to be a member to access this podcast where we talk about doing built-ins. We cover several of the techniques, strategies and things to look for as you design and install a built-in project.

If you are on the fence about if you should join the Guild or not, I will say that as a person that makes my living out of the shop, Marc gives great information and I endorse his guild program. (No – he did not pay me to say that but I expect delivery of a new truck from him any day now.)

A couple of days later I joined the guys from the Modern Woodworkers Association on their podcast. The Modern Woodworkers Association is the combined effort of the following guys (in no particular order):

“Tom Iovino of Tom's Workbench
Chris Adkins of High Rock Woodworking
DyamiPlotke of The Penultimate Workshop
Nick Roulleau of Mansfield Fine Furniture

Their podcasts are open for public consumption and they cover all things woodworking. In this episode they talk about the Woodworking In America shows and some general happenings in the world of woodworking. I come in about 17:45 where you can see me looking like a tecnnoboob as I try to figure out how to connect with these guys.

After that we talk about the museum exhibition where I have my prairie chandelier on display, not sleeping to get it done, and the 5 questions they ask all of their guests. You will find out if I prefer thongs or boxers and we also talk about my sharpening techniques that really upset the “woodworking establishment.”

I just watched the video and, even though I participated in it a few days ago, I was surprised at how many gold nuggets there were in the information we cover. I actually spill the beans and share the secret to successful woodworking!

I really had a great time with these guys and I was still energized the next couple of days after talking with them. I hope you enjoy the video and get something useful out of it.

Be sure to catch them this Wed at 9 p.m. EST for their next podcast with guest Andy Chidwick. Andy is an LJ member also showing at the Museum of the Rockies fine woodworking exhibition in Bozeman, MT. He is a great craftsman and teacher so be sure to catch him or watch the video later at the Modern Woodworkers Association.

Your friend in the shop –
Todd A. Clippinger
Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

There is a total of 25 woodworking artists showing and I am very honored to be counted among them. They are certainly a group of high-caliber artisans.

There are also two other LumberJock members also showing at the exhibition – Andy Chidwick and Scott Morrison. It is pretty cool to think that 3 LumberJock members are showing at the same museum exhibition for fine woodworking.

The curator requested that I build a prairie chandelier for the exhibition. At first it was “chandeliers” – plural – because I had originally built two. At a certain point I was told there would only be room for one, by then, I already had the parts milled and joinery cut for two units. But I only needed to assemble one.

It was better that I only had to build one because they are technically more challenging to assemble than it looks. That means it was taking longer than I thought and I was way behind, even for assembling just one chandelier.

I enlisted the help of a good friend, Mike Pasini. He is a pretty talented guy that I can trust and get along with in the shop. If anyone is “the chosen one” to spend time in my shop – it is Mike. He also helped me out with the bookcase for charity earlier this year.

OK, I really am understating Mike’s help – he really saved my bacon in both instances! For those that followed me on Twitter and FB, they were getting a first-hand account of the drama as I worked non-stop and ran into unexpected problems with my compressor and the finish.

Anyway, I pulled a few 30 hour days in the shop and barely got done in time. But, as it stands now, I have a prairie chandelier hanging on display in a museum for a fine woodworking exhibition.

Opening weekend was great. I got to hang out with a couple dozen high-end woodworkers and share in some great conversation. It really nourished me as an artist.

One thing that became clear is this, we all seem to share a very similar experience as we make our living as artists and craftsmen. My experiences are not unique, they are common to those that choose this life. And we cannot help but to express ourselves through our work and try to make a living at it.

If you are in the vicinity of the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT I highly recommend checking out the exhibition.

For those that wonder how do you get into something like that, all I can say it is a lot of hard work in the shop growing as an artist and craftsman, and never underestimate the importance of making connections. I have not lacked for the hours spent in the shop, being honest with myself in my work, and networking.

What you are seeing, is the glamorous result of a lot of hard work. I certainly don’t want to discourage anybody, that aspires to achieve the same, I am just letting you know what it takes.

The dining set that my chandelier hangs over is built by Tim Carney of Helena, MT. It is a stunning dining set that really helps make my chandelier look great.

For more information on the backstory and design, check out the chandelier in the project gallery.

That is all for now. Until next time, be safe in your own shop.

Your friend in the shop,

Todd A. Clippinger

Share the Love~Share the Knowledge

I really should be out in the shop right now, I am waaay behind on my project. But I need to let you guys know that everyone is invited to the opening night of a Fine Woodworking Exhibition at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT. I will be there as I am participating in the exhibition with a new version of my prairie chandeliers.

The Opening Schedule:

Here is the opening show schedule:

Friday, Oct 26th: 5pm Artisans’ Reception

Saturday, Oct 27th: 11a.m.-2p.m. Artisan Gallery Talks

7-8p.m. Studio Furniture Lecture by Joseph Godia, Chief of Conservation, Frick Museum, NYC

Please RSVP

To enjoy the opening show and lecture Please call 406-586-8894 to RSVP.

There will be some amazing furniture makers at the show. If you can’t make the opening reception and lecture, the show runs through the end of January 2013 so there is plenty of time to see the exhibit.

Other LJ Members in the show!

There will be a couple of other LJ members showing; Andy Chidwick and Scott Morrison. I am really excited to be included with such fine talent.

If you can make it, be sure to RSVP for the opening ceremonies and meet the artists.

I have to go I have a ton of work to get done for the show.

Your friend in the shop-

Todd A. Clippinger

”Share the Love~Share the Knowledge”