Charlie James

My hammer broke when I was smashing their piggy banks! They were some tough banks
…

I had money once! Then I started woodworking and started buying all the tools I needed. There were hundreds of them and every time I went to a seminar or a workshop I realized there were even more tools I couldn’t do without. I started to buy wood and realized there was wood I couldn’t do without either! They have turned my electricity and water off for non-payment but I have some collection of tools and wood!!! I go into my STUDIO and stare for hours, although I can only do so in the daylight. Trying to get my grandkids on the exercise bike, it’s attached to a generator. That’s okay right?? After all, I give them scrap wood and finishing nails to play with….

Shapers! Slowly I turned, step by step, inch by inch! I use my shaper but I am very careful with it. Two of my finger tips were flayed by a shaper but expertly repaired in the hospital. It wasn’t easy but I finished shaping the molding that night. I lost some feeling in the fingers so the shaper scares the hell out of me. I still use it and am very careful about using wood with knots ( a knot caused the wood to catch). AHH, grinders.

What’s the matter with placing black tape on your fingers to protect them from the heat caused by friction? Nothing like a little pain to make you appreciate fine woodworking!

I don’t have enough hair on my head to go through all the testing but I should have enough on my arms. I did sharpen my hair clippers pretty well and it should be fine for curly hair or Maple…Scraper planes! That’s another anchor I have an issue with!

I wonder if a hair clipper would work?

Now if I could only get Joe to agree with me about toothing planes!

Ben, one of my fears is the bit coming loose and making a lot more work for myself. No matter the type of bit, it can and does go right through or just wobbles at high speed on top of the workpiece. I tighten it up well and after a few passes I’ll check the tightness.You can also hear the change in pitch but by the time you stop the router it’s always to late. Handwork is much more relaxing!

I mostly do my inlays/banding by hand especially with curved work since you’re really only scratching the surface. I make my cutter from old chisels or any scrap steel with body to it. I just make a quick jig first, sometimes I even do a jig first! I will use an upcut when removing wood for a fan inlay because it’s faster and the depth is easily controlled.

Wow, good question, lot’s of answers! I tend to use the upcut bits. It cleans the hole out as I’m plunging and it’s important that I see what I’m doing. I tend to use the bits more for inlays but use them for mortises for the same reason. I don’t have a problem with a rough edge on inlays since I mark my cuts with a knife first. When using an upcut or downcut or any bit for that matter, it’s important to take small bites…The big difference is price, spiral bits are a lot more money. They seem last a bit longer but can be burnt by to much pressure just like a carbide bit. I don’t feel my router pushing or pulling when using either bit I can feel it when I start to push the bit too hard. When making mortises the shoulder of the tenon hides any roughness from the bit so I don’t concern myself with that.