# Woodworking in America 2008



## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*Dovetailing: Pins vs. Tails with Klausz and Underhill*

From my blog:

I have posted three entries, each with video, of the Dovetailing: Pins vs. Tails session with Frank Klausz and Roy Underhill. I kept the editing to a minimum, to give the viewer a sense of "being there". You will hear a little background noise, and the lighting might be a little on the dark side. But it reflects in a good way the way it was.

I had an opportunity to attend the 2008 Woodworking in America conference in Berea, KY. It was a terrific event, attended by many people I had never met. And it was a wonderful setting to meet many leading tool makers, Popular Woodworking magazine editors, bloggers, and fellow woodworkers.

Christopher Schwarz created a special page, How to Experience Woodworking in America, to allow us to stay in touch with the latest write-ups and summaries by many contributors.

I hope you will enjoy the video segments. I have several others I will be publishing in the days to come.

Al


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## Woodhacker (Mar 16, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Dovetailing: Pins vs. Tails with Klausz and Underhill*
> 
> From my blog:
> 
> ...


Al, thanks for posting these! I just finished watching them, they are very interesting and entertaining too.

Let us know when the others are ready.

Thanks again.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*Bench planes, with Deneb Puchalski*

From my blog:

I want to share with you this terrific session, which I captured on video and is now available on my blog for dwonload. Deneb Puchalski, of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, was the leader for this hands-on clinic.

In addition to video I took several photos; the following gives you a sense of the setting:




























Thanks!


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## Texasgaloot (Apr 8, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Bench planes, with Deneb Puchalski*
> 
> From my blog:
> 
> ...


We should have had LJ tags on or something. That's me, with my back to you, second to last table on the left wearing the ghetto-shop-apron. Thanks for posting!


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Bench planes, with Deneb Puchalski*
> 
> From my blog:
> 
> ...


galoot,

You are right! Sorry, but I had no idea. I was the guy running around snapping photos, and filming from the Observation Deck above. Maybe next year we could meet for a nice chat!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Bench planes, with Deneb Puchalski*
> 
> From my blog:
> 
> ...


yah.. definitely wear LJ shirts next time


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Bench planes, with Deneb Puchalski*
> 
> From my blog:
> 
> ...


Debbie,

Better planning next time is in order, for sure !


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*In 2008, the Neanders came to Berea...*

*From my blog:*

Ahhh… Nostalgia time!

Hopefully this will give some people who use hand tools a little different perspective. I had a lot of fun producing this video! One of the things that crossed my mind several times during the conference, and I keep repeating to myself, is "… they used *nothing* but these types of tools all those years ago…" And it was wonderful to see in one place so many enthusiastic woodworkers and tool makers, artists and craftsmen at the top of their careers!

Enjoy!

The Title Page, linked to the blog post:



.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*

Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.

*From my blog:*

================

Christopher Schwarz, Editor of Popular Woodworking (PW) magazine, does a terrific job in this session. He is entertaining, and has an uncanny ability to convey his message accurately and succinctly. I split this session into three parts, for easier downloading and viewing. This is the high-resolution video (as high as I can get with an old video camera).

*Background:*

This session is Schwarz's presentation on a topic he researched, and published on the PW blog in April 20, 2007. The published article shows the steps required to properly do the job, and mentions "…a list of 14 different techniques for sharpening this rectangle of steel that have been published since 1875." In the video he talks about the references he found, from "12 dead guys and 2 living", and which were the foundation of this work.

*For Part 1:*

In this first Part, Chris covers the historical background (nothing about sharpening scrapers appears in the literature until 1875), his work on wood failure (Types 1, 2, and 3 shavings, and why tearout occurs), and the first part of scraper preparation: Filing the edge.

The next two episodes will show the rest of the session with Chris, and the wonderful shavings he produces with a well-sharpened scraper.

================

Here is Chris at the workbench, filing the edge of the scraper near the end of Part 1:


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## spaids (Apr 15, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


when do we get the next episode? The first one ended RIGHT when it got good.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


Sorry! I had no idea it would create so much suspense… 

It's cookin' right now. Will post as soon as available.


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## hokieman (Feb 14, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the post. This was very informative.


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## Woodhacker (Mar 16, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


Al, this is great information…I just finished watching the video. Thanks so much for taking the time to record it and share it with us. I'm looking forward to seeing the other two parts when I get more time. This is a great resource to refer back to.

Thanks again.


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## definn (Oct 9, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


Learned to sharpen scrapers in 1945 as an apprentice, and yes, properly prepared it is *great* tool, even tho preparation is timeconsuming but a work of Love.


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## spaids (Apr 15, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


I've only seen the first video but I heard Chris say something that REALLY got my attention. He said "The first time you roll a burr". Is there a method for just touching up the burr on a card scrapper? I have been going through all the steps that you would use for a brand new card scraper every time mine needs a new edge and consequently I find myself not using my scraper. The edge doesn't last so long and going through all the steps is a bit of a procedure.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use - Part 1*
> 
> Scrapers are often misunderstood, and many of us produce mostly dust instead of nice, thin shavings. As a result, this terrific session was included in the WIA program.
> 
> ...


spaids,

Chris addressed this issue in Part 3, if my memory is still working. He stated that he files the edge only every 4th sharpening or so. Why? Because, although you *could* try to draw the burr once more, and it (might) work fine, it will not be as durable. And, by skipping the filing, the stoning goes much more quickly, too. THE critical thing to remember: Don't use too much pressure, and draw the burr in several passes, at a fairly shallow angle. This creates the most durable burr.

I pretty much do the same, and also found the burr just is not as durable. So, I go back and start over, but minus the filing.

Once you get into the rhythm, the sharpening goes quickly. One hour should be more than enough to get several scrapers ready to get beautiful shavings. When I need one, I need one badly! ;-)


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*WIA - Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use, Part 2*

*From my blog:*

==============

Background:

By the end of Part 1, Christopher Schwarz had covered the history of scrapers, using information from "…12 dead guys and 2 living…", the literature back to the mid-1800s; he was unable to locate earlier references in the literature. He also covered interesting facts about how wood fails, documented with superb photographs of the types of shavings formed. As Part 1 ended, he was filing one edge of the card scraper on the bench.

It is worth repeating here that this work first was published on the PW blog on April 20, 2007; you might want to keep the printed article for future reference. In my opinion, though, it is worth the time to watch Christopher Schwarz go through the entire procedure, in which he fully documents every step, and many misconceptions, about sharpening card scrapers.

Now, Part 2:

In this episode Chris does the prep required to get the edge ready to turn the burr, and covers the following:

1. Finishes filing the edge of the scraper, as indicated by complete removal of the marker ink he used for this purpose.
2. Stoning the edge: It is essential to keep the scraper at 90° to the stone surface. The best method he found to do this is to use the same block of wood he used to keep the file square to the scraper face. In addition, he moves the block of wood after every stroke.
3. Sharpening stones he uses: Shaptons, 1,000 and 4,000 grit. Chris makes the point that a polished edge is more durable, and keeps the sharp edge better than a non-polished edge; thus, stoning with 4,000 grit.
4. Polish the side, or face, of the card scraper, using the ruler trick developed by David Charlesworth to prop up a plane iron on a stone to sharpen a very small area on the face of the iron. This drastically reduces the time required to flatten (and polish) the face of the scraper.
5. Burnishers: Use a polished burnisher, not a cheap one!
6. Use a little oil to burnish the face of the scraper, using rapid movements across the entire face. Doing this creates a specific sound that resulted in burnishers being called "ticketers" in days past.
7. This Part ends with some discussion on turning the burr: How? Slide the burnisher? At what angle? Use the Veritas variable burnisher - he set his at 7.2°! How much pressure to use? How many strokes with the burnisher?

It was only earlier this year I finally found myself able to properly sharpen a scraper with any kind of repeatability. But, if you are still struggling to get nice, thin shavings, this session is for you!

To be continued in Part 3…

==============










Thanks for reading, and watching!

Al
Watch videos from woodworking in America, in Berea, KY:


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*WIA - Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use, Part 3 of 3*

*From my blog:*

===========
This is Part 3 of 3 of the session on Scrapers: History, Preparation and Use, with Christopher Schwarz. Part3 concludes the series on scrapers.

To get some continuity from Part 2 into Part 3, I included the last 3 minutes from part 2 as the introduction to this episode. This way you can get back to speed quickly.

In Part 3 Christopher Schwarz actually draws the burr on the scraper. This Part starts with some discussion by The Schwarz on drawing the burr, and continues with the rest of his findings on the study he conducted:

1. Best way to get a consistent angle at which to pull the burnisher: Adjust the height of the card scraper in the vise, until you find an angle that gives you the best burr. Use this height setting from now on, and lay down the burnisher on the vise chop (the moving face on the vise). This will give you a constant reference angle as you pull the burnisher.
2. Use a lubricant when drawing the burr:
- Use a Japanese hair tonic such as Camellia oil (a Japanese hair tonic)
- Other accounts suggest that the Japanese hair tonic is not the best.
- Rather, one should use oil from behind the ear, or from the nose.
3. Make several passes with the burnisher, using light pressure. After each pass, "feel" the burr with your fingers.
4. Up until today, Chris had always drawn the burr on the pull stroke. After the first pass, someone from the audience asked whether doing it on the push stroke would also work. In the end, it did, and even The Schwarz learned something during this session!
5. What pressure to use? "About 12.4 lbs…" <laughter>
6. Effect of the shape of the burnisher: A tight radius produces a more aggressive burr, i.e., it cuts more at roughly the same pressure; for harder scrapers, use this tight-radius burnisher. But, for softer scrapers he recommends using a wider-radius burnisher. This is the main reason for differences in the shape of the burnishing rod.
7. Always buy and use a highly-polished burnisher. He criticizes some commercial burnishers for not being polished enough, which results in jagged edges on the scraper.
8. Chris likes to draw the burr while slowly moving the scraper away from the edge. This makes a lot of sense, as it "...keeps the oil moving…" 
9. Results: Beautiful shavings!
10. A huge crowd gathered around Chris and his workbench immediately after the presentation. I am truly sorry I did not leave the camera running to record this!

Approximately the last half portion of Part 3 consists of a Q&A session. Several very good questions originated from attendees to this session, with (what else?) equally good answers from The Schwarz.

I hope you enjoyed this three-part series on scrapers, and hope you will return for more videos from the following sessions I attended:


Advanced Dovetailing, with Frank Klausz
Bevel-up vs. bevel-down , with Robin Lee, Thomas Lie-Nielsen, and Christopher Schwarz
Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding, with Christopher Schwarz
Furniture Design, with Kevin Drake and John Economaki
My summary and wrap-up, with scenes from the conference.

Not on video, but rather from my own notes, I will have a post on Modern Tools, Tolerances & Myths, with Robin Lee, Thomas Lie-Nielsen, Konrad Sauer, and John Economaki.
============

Thanks for reading, and for watching!

Al
Link to Woodworking in America videos I recorded in Berea, KY


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*The Schwarz dances*

*From my blog:*

For your viewing pleasure: A very short video. I extracted some of Christopher Schwarz's best moves during his session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding - Woodworking in America, in Berea. And it ain't no tango!

Enjoy!

Al
View videos from Woodworking in America in Berea, KY.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*WIA: Part 1 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*

*From my blog:*

Over the years, Christopher Schwarz has built many benches - from the Roman style door-and-saw horse, to much-improved models based on old references. And he has published a book that has become a true library reference for many woodworkers: Workbenches, From Design & Theory to Construction & Use.

Now to Part 1: From my notes, a mix of some comments and facts from the presentation by Christopher Schwarz. I hope the following will get your interest in watching the video:


Target: How to build a bench at a reasonable cost - It must appeal to readers. Thus, the $175 bench.
Evolution of a simple bench, over time.
"Fights" with Joel Moskowitz in Joel's apartment, while looking at his world-class woodworking library - Roubo found; Plate 11, the start of The Schwarz's "conversion".
Built the first Roubo for $300, including the crochet (pronounced "crow-shay", not "croh-chett"…) and put it through its paces.
Some comments on the minuses of the European benches.
His research led Chris to ask himself "…what other early, cool benches might be buried in the literature?"

Next: Part 2 of the session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding.

Watch videos from Woodworking in America


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *WIA: Part 1 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*
> 
> *From my blog:*
> 
> ...


That's some good stuff there Al. Thanks for sharing.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *WIA: Part 1 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*
> 
> *From my blog:*
> 
> ...


Thanks, Betsy.

I still have quite a bit of video material from the Conference, which I will continue editing and posting. I am splitting the longer sessions into several parts, for easier reading and downloading.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*WIA: Part 2 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*

*From my blog:*

In this video episode Christopher Schwarz, Editor of Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine, presents, discusses, and points out pros and cons of several benches and their features:

1. The European bench: He is not happy with this form, but also is not anti-European-form. His problem with this one: People take old principles and apply them to other benches. He likes to apply the kitchen door test (typical sizes we work on) and the kitchen carcase test (pushes him to narrower benches) to all benches, for suitability.
2. Materials: For example, the Nicholson bench required only a small amount of material. He likes soft woods for his benches; SYP (Southern yellow pine) does not move much, is stiff ((no flexing), it dents (no detriment), and he can flatten a workbench in 45 minutes using a #8 jointer hand plane diagonally. Also, SYP does not sag; however, one of his benches has developed a low spot i.n the middle. He believes the critical area that requires total flatness on a bench top is the front 8 inches to 10 inches.
3. Roman style bench: This is the one he finds in most pro shops. Pros: It is simple, and stout. Con: No planing stops, etc.
4. The French undercarriage: Pros: Great clamping ability. Con: Requires a log of material, primarily due to its massive legs.
5. The English bench: Pros: Requires very little wood. Con: Undercarriage clamping is tough.
6. The Danish bench: Pro: Easy to knock down. Don: Can't clamp easily on the front.
7. The Shaker bench: Pros: Great looks, and storage for everything and everybody. Cons: Hard to clamp on.
8. Tool trays: Cons: They are always full of "stuff".
9. The Hayward bench: The thin top flexes; but the front apron takes away some of the flex.
10. Top thickness: At 3″ to 4″, the beam strength is enough to provide support on the legs. Holdfasts reach their holding limit around 4 inches.
11. Bench height: For hand planing, it should hit the joint between the pinkie and the palm of the hand.
12. Bench width: Finds that 22″ is great, but 18″ tends to be tippy.
13. Bench finish: NO slick film. The formula he uses is 50/50 BLO (boiled linseed oil) / varnish, with solvent added to make it possible to wipe on the mixture. There is no need to finish the underside, unless the owner wants to finish it.

Next: The ending of the session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding.

.

Related posts: Watch more videos from Woodworking in America on my blog.

The following is a screen shot from the video:


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

AlNavas said:


> *WIA: Part 2 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*
> 
> *From my blog:*
> 
> ...


Thanks for the post.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*WIA: Part 3 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*

*This is the last video on my blog on the session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding. More to come yet… *

*From my blog:*

*This episode is all about workholding:*

1. Face vises - Racking is the main reason The Schwarz does not like them.

2. Leg vise: Elegant, cheap, GREAT!

3. Shoulder vise: Best choice for dovetailing drawers - it is fast. It is great, but too complex.

4. Crochet: Used with holdfasts, it is great, and cool.

5. Sliding dog vise: Otherwise called the Wagon Vise. Recently installed one on of his benches.

6. End (tail) vise on European-style benches: Fragile, and they sag!

7. Dogs: Round or square? Likes square, bur coming around to round. It is hard to make square holes. The round dogs are best because there is a large after-market that caters to these.

8. Battens: Offer an effective way to work: Low profile, and cool.

9. Planing stops: Made from scraps; make them as thin and wide as possible; install on the face vise.

10. Planing boards: Great if the workbench is not flat; Chris has made available a construction drawing on his blog.

11. Deadman: Installed on his Roubo; has nothing but praise for it.

12. Other benches: Concrete block bench; wheelwright's bench, with leg vise and cabinets; the Modern Roubo"; the English hybrid, with angled leg vise but straight legs; Moxon's bench; the "sink" bench (laughter!), which is a Shaker bench corrupted.

The Schwarz answered many questions, all terrific and relevant, until he ran out of time. The discussion could easily have run much longer, but everyone had to run to lunch, to the Marketplace, and to other terrific sessions.

I took a good look at the construction of the sliding deadman…

The following is a screen shot of the video - it shows a very simple planing stop that The Schwarz uses on his bench:










Al
*On my blog you can watch videos I shot during Woodworking in America in Berea, KY:*+-+


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *WIA: Part 3 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*
> 
> *This is the last video on my blog on the session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding. More to come yet… *
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing these videos, I have enjoyed watching them.

It makes me quite jealous that you attended the conference.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *WIA: Part 3 of 3 - Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding*
> 
> *This is the last video on my blog on the session on Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding. More to come yet… *
> 
> ...


Todd,

I am truly glad you are enjoying these. But no need to be jealous. Maybe we could get together at the one or two conferences next year?


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*Video Episode #39 - Advanced Dovetailing with Frank Klausz*

This is the latest video from the series *Woodworking in America*, in Berea, KY.

*From my blog:*

Frank Klausz returns in this episode on Advanced Dovetailing, to share how he makes half-blind and mitered dovetails. He shares tips that are crucial to get excellent joint fit with a minimum set of tools. I filmed this during his wonderful session, at the Woodworking in America hand tool conference in Berea, KY.

The session opened with Klausz talking about his background, and his search in America for "...others who made dovetails like his grandpa made them, back in Hungary…". He later told the audience he has made "... a total of 12 of these, and now is getting ready to make his 13th mitered dovetail joint…"

Pins-first is the order of the day when making both, the half-blind, and the mitered varieties of dovetails. Klausz also uses a sharpened pencil to mark the tails from the pins; and, from the Pins vs. Tails dovetailing videos I filmed during his first session, white glue is what he uses to assemble the dovetails. He considers white glue a great stress-remover when the time comes to glue up dovetail projects - the longer open time of the white glue is good for these, he says. Of course, he is right.

If you decide to download the video: The file size is 570 MB. It will take a while, depending on your connection speed.

Relevant posts:
Woodworking in America: Pins vs. Tails, with Frank Klausz

Al

The following is a screen shot from the video:


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

*Bevel-up vs. Bevel-down Planes*

*From my blog:*

Christopher Schwarz moderated this session on the second day of Woodworking in America in Berea, KY. Robin Lee and Thomas Lie-Nielsen participated. Highlights of items covered during this session:

Summary (from notes I took during the session - but everything is on the video):

1. Characteristics of both types of hand planes.
2. Questions with Robin Lee and Thomas Lie-Nielsen.
3. Questions from the audience.

Now for the good stuff:

Using a Veritas bevel-up plane as an example, Schwarz explained:

1. There is no removable frog.
2. These have been called "low angle" tools, which can be confusing because they can be made into high-angle tools.
3. What changes when using a bevel-up plane? We gain, due to some of the following advantages, and lose some due to a few disadvantages:


The sharpening angle of attack influences the angle of the tool: Low angle, for end grain, for example; and high angle for "tricky" grain.
The adjustment mechanisms are vastly different; they result in easier, and more accurate, blade adjustment with the bevel-up tools. Blade projection is easier; but lateral adjustment can be more tricky on the bevel-up planes.
There is no separate chip breaker. Robin Lee discusses wood failure.
Some discussion followed on changing the angle of attack by changing the back bevel on the iron; Schwarz does not like this approach, as it doubles sharpening time.
A major advantage of bevel-down smoothers and jointers: Making adjustments "on-the-fly", which gives great feedback to the user.
A disadvantage of the bevel-up tools: Cannot "point" with the index finger, or make adjustments.

Starting about 45 minutes into the session, the panel took questions from the audience. This was a great session with two major players on the tool manufacturing side, an amateur woodworker who doubles as a magazine editor, and an audience hungry for information.

Al
View videos from Woodworking in America on my blog+-+

The following is a screen shot of the session:


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## rob2 (Nov 27, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Bevel-up vs. Bevel-down Planes*
> 
> *From my blog:*
> 
> ...


These are incredibly interesting and informative. Thanks for all your work in making the videos and posting them. I'll look/listen to them all. Thank you !!! Het LJs ck these out.


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## AlNavas (Oct 16, 2007)

AlNavas said:


> *Bevel-up vs. Bevel-down Planes*
> 
> *From my blog:*
> 
> ...


Rob,

I am very glad you are enjoying them - there was a lot to cover, and we all have tried our best to get out the information on the web.


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