These wood sculptures by artist David C Roy really took my breath away… here’s a video of one he called “Spectrum”

Here’s how he describes his process of making these scupltures:
“I usually make the sculptures in groups of six. I cut most of the pieces on a band saw and then do the final shaping with a table router and sander. All the holes are predrilled using a drill press. I cut and make all the knobs, pulleys, and spools by hand using techniques that I have developed. All the pieces are hand sanded and then stained and finished.”

The size of these pieces is tough to grasp unless you see Mr. Roy standing right next to them… Here’s one where he demonstrates winding “Illusion:”

Here’s Variation-Zen… apparently he only made 6 of these.

The prices on his site range from $1250-3200. Check out Wood that Works.

I spotted these incredible sculptures over at SawmillCreek… Here’s a link to the original thread: Wood that Works Kinetic sculptures.

The SawmillCreekers chimed in recently when one of their own asked about Jet parallel clamps. Clamps and power tools are two things you can never have enough of, so of course I rolled up my sleeves and started counting responses.

The conversation spread far from just parallel clamps, but that’s what I focused on for the purposes of this post. You should read the full post here to get the full flavor and other great suggestions you may not have thought of: Are Jet the best clamps?

Jet: 9 Votes

Bessey K-Bodies: 7 Votes

“Comeerson” Clamps: 1 Vote (*)

As there’s no strong favorite between the two you can be reasonably assured you’ll like either… I read some suggestions in the thread that you buy 4 of a given clamp to see how you like it. If it serves you well then consider that a green light

(*) about the Comeerson brand clamps… I learned about these from Per Swinson in the SMC thread. That’s when you yell “Comeerson!” and get your son to clamp your project for awhile

Original thread:
Are Jet the best clamps?

Other Resources:
The 11 Top Woodworking Power Tools That Give 100% Satisfaction or Better The Bessey clamps made the sub-11 list.

Random Orbit Sanders are woodshop standards around the world. The random orbit means that the grit doesn’t make a noticeable “pattern” in the surface of your woodworking project. If you’re shopping for a new one - or your first one - this article gives you insight into which brands are most popular with woodworkers.

I counted up random orbital sander recommendations from 5 forums: Woodnet, SawmillCreek, LumberJocks, WoodWorkForums (Oz) and Contractor Talk. Without further ado, here are the top 5 most popular random orbit sanders:

1) Bosch: 20 Votes
The Bosch is the go-to standard for ROS. You won’t go wrong with the Bosch, though it’s definitely not the cheapest ROS available… Bosch was popular across ALL the forums.

Bosch 1295DVSK 2.2 Amp 5-Inch Palm Grip Variable Speed Random Orbit Palm Sander

Bosch 1250DEVS 6.5 Amp 6-Inch Random Orbit Sander with Vacuum Port

Bosch 1295 ROS Owners Opinions (SawmillCreek)

2) Festool: 19 Votes
Festools are expensive. Festool users love Festool so much they should be called cult members. It seemed like there were the most Festool fans in SawmillCreek.

6″ rand. orb. sander ETS 150/3

5″ random orbit sander ETS 125

Festool 150/5 random orbit sander review (SawmillCreek)

3) Porter-Cable: 12 Votes
Straight forward and steady, the Porter-Cable ROS seemed most popular with contractors. There were no raving PC fans… but then again they’re not the “raving” type

Porter-Cable 97355 5-Inch Variable Speed Random Orbital Sander Kit

4) Makita: 9 Votes
Another solid contender, the Makita is a popular less expensive option.

Makita BO6030 2.7 Amp 6-Inch Random Orbit Variable Speed Sander

5 - tie) Dewalt: 7 Votes
Everyone with a Dewalt ROS seemed to really like it. A strong choice that will last a long time.

DEWALT D26453K 3 Amp 5-Inch Variable Speed Random Orbit Sander Kit

5 - tie) Metabo: 7 Votes
Metabos seemed most popular “down under.” A solid mid-priced ROS.

Metabo SXE450 00458 3.8 Amp 6-Inch Random Orbit Sander

Everyone Else:
Ridgid: 4 Votes

Cabinet Scraper: 2 Votes
Using Card Scrapers (FWW article)

Dynabrade: 2 Votes
(pneumatic air powered sanders)

Ryobi: 1 Vote

Forum Threads Cited:
Random Orbit Sander- Is there consensus on top 2 or 3? (WoodNet)
ROS Suggestions (SawmillCreek)
Random Orbital Sander? (LumberJocks)
Whats the best random orbit sander in your opinion (WoodWorkForums)
Which sander? (ContractorTalk)

Other Resources:
Stopping Swirl Marks in Your Finish (PDF file…)
Chris Baylor on Random Orbital Sanders

Quality work shoes can take the ache out of your back, ankles, knees and feet. The question of “best shoes for the woodshop” comes up over and over in woodworking forums. Like most things woodworking the best answer is “it depends on what your needs are.”

We’re a safety-first company so we definitely recommend steel toed boots. From what I found most woodworkers agree - by and large they lean towards standard work boots while they’re working with wood. That said I found a SHOCKING number of people who wear sandals… or even flip flops. And one woodworker claims he works in the shop barefoot. YIKES! To each his own I guess, but remember, what you’re reading here is the collected opinions of woodworkers and does NOT reflect ToolCrib.com’s recommendations.

One thing NOT reflected well in the results you’ll read is the difference that cushioning floor pads will make! Most folks reported that good floor cushioning makes expensive/comfortable shoes unnecessary. Safe shoes are still recommended of course…

To find these results I referenced 2 main posts from SawmillCreek:
Best Boots for the Shop
Whats yer workshop shoe?

Boots: 23 Votes Total
Red Wing: 5 Votes

Red Wing 6611 Mens Oxford
Redwing “comfort zone” boots

Wolverine: 3 Votes

Wolverine Steeltoes for me.
Wolverines Wellingtons
Wolverine safety boots in the shop

Danner: 2 Votes

Danner Arcadias
Danner Hunting Boots

Timberland: 2 Votes
Timberland steel toe steel shank
Timberland Pro

Blundstone: 2 Votes
Blundstone safety boots
Blundstone

Everyone else:
Merrell hikers with Dr. Scholl’s most expensive insoles.
Echo boots
matterhorn safety toe boots
Jump Boots
Doc Martens with bouncing soles
Wescos
hi tech work boots

walking shoes/sneaker-y type shoes: 21 Votes
worn out running shoes: 14 Votes
slip on mocassins from cabelas
Propet walkers
Rocky steel toed sneakers
converse steel toe sneakers
heavy Rockports
Z-coils
Romeos

Sandal-y Foot Coverings: 16 votes Total
Crocs: 9 votes (close-toe recommended)

Sandals: 3 votes
Birkenstocks: 2 votes
flip flops: 2 votes

Use Floor Pads: 11 Votes

Barefoot: 1 Vote
We highly highly un-recommend this idea. Your mileage may vary!

Resources:
Top Ten Most Dangerous Woodworking Power Tools
Using Gloves in the Woodshop
The Seven Golden Rules of Power Tool Safety
Best Boots for the Shop
Whats yer workshop shoe?
Most Comfortable Work Boots
View Poll Results: Your Favorite Work Boot

Over at Family Woodworking Joe Mioux asked the family what table saw they’d get if they had unlimited budget. He’s selling a Mini-Max. See the original thread here: If you could buy a new ts….

I tallied them up and here are the table saws that the Family sees when they’re sawing “z’s.”

SawStop: 6 Votes

Sawstop preferred over Powermatic PM 2000 for Professional Wood Shop (WoodNetters only)
SawStop got mini-kudos in our customer service forum survey.
SawStop placed #11 on our Top Woodworking Power Tools That Give 100% Satisfaction or Better
Tied w/ PM2000 in Top Cabinet Saws for a Small Pro Wood Shop

PowerMatic: 4 Votes
5hp pre 1977 pm66
PM2000 with the router lift
custom Powermatic 2066

Also see:
Questions to Ask When Buying a Used Powermatic 66 Table Saw
Tied w/ SawStop in Top Cabinet Saws for a Small Pro Wood Shop

Mini Max Sliding Table Saw: 3 Votes

Steel City cabinet saw: 2 votes

One Mention Each:
an old Unisaw
left tilt General cabinet-saw
Woodtek - 148-271 Hybrid Tablesaw

If I had the cash I’d like to try out the Steel City granite top table saw

How about you? What’s your dream table saw?

A Woodnetter asked his fellows recently what their thoughts were on a battle between the Grizzly G5013 and the Jet JWBS-18X. For the record, the 17″ Grizzly G5013 placed first in our survey for our band saw buying guide. That said, the Jet is a fine machine worthy of consideration.

A bit of detail for you - the OP (original poster) plans to use the saw for a great deal of resawing. In his words: “As for resawing, most of the furniture we make uses 1/8″ thick shop veneer laminated onto baltic birch. The woods are almost exclusively exotic (i.e. very hard and very expensive, which is why we use veneer). So the ability to resaw as wide as possible (within the price range of the Grizzly and Jet) is crucial.”

One commenter suggested off the bat that he start looking at the 19″ models if he planned to do mostly resawing. And while there wasn’t a landslide of responses or suggestions the thread is great for any professional woodshop owner looking at 17-19″ band saws for production work. Read the original thread here: Which machine? 17″ Grizzly G5013 2HP vs. Jet 18″ 1 1/2 HP

The Grizzly won by a narrow margin…

Grizzly G5013: 3 votes

Jet JWBS-18X: 2 votes

Thread of Origin:
Which machine? 17″ Grizzly G5013 2HP vs. Jet 18″ 1 1/2 HP

Other Resources:
What’s the Best Band Saw? Benchtop vs. 14 Inch vs. 17 Inch vs. 18 Inch
Grizzly Tools - What is Your Opinion?
A Band Saw Buying Guide: 6 Considerations That Save Woodworkers Money
Band Saw Tire Maintenance
Woodworking Without A Table Saw

Woodnetter Zane Moseley wants a new square. He went to his fellow WoodNetters and said: “I’m thinking of buying a quality square like a Starrett or Incra that will last for years and give trustworth readings. The 12″ starrett combo square seems a bit long. They have a 4″ double square that looks pretty appealing. Incra also makes a “guaranteed square”. Which should I get?”

What follows is a fantastic weighing-in of the Woodnetters - here’s the full thread if you’d like to check it out: What type of square do you use most often?

I tallied responses and then went digging for similar threads in other woodworking forums to bring you the top 4 most used woodworking squares…

1) Starrett: 22 overall
Starrett 4″ double square: 6

12″ Starrett combo square: 6
6″ Starrett combo square: 5
6″ Starrett double square: 2

Starrett Reviews from LumberJocks:
Starrett Fixed Square Review
Starrett 4-Inch Double Square, 12-Inch Combination Square

(Note that Starrett squares came in at #9 on the top 11 tools that bring 100% satisfaction.)

2) Bridge City Squares: 3 Overall
Bridge City Universal Square: 1

Bridge City CS-12 combination square: 1

3) Veritas Squares: 3 Overall
Veritas Saddle Square: 3

Veritas Saddle Square Review

4) Lee Valley Squares: 3 Overall
Lee Valley 4″ double square: 1

LV double square: 1

Everyone Else by Brand:
Swanson Speed Squres: 2 Overall

Harbor Freight Squares: 2 overall

Stanley Squares: 2 Overall
Stanley 12″ combo squares: 2

PEC Squares: 1 Overall
4″ double square: 1

Incra Squares: 1 overall

Mitutoyo squares: 1 overall

Forum sources for these numbers:
What type of square do you use most often?
If you were a square
When is a square not a square?
Starrett adjustable square, or who…?

Other Resources:
The 11 Top Woodworking Power Tools That Give 100% Satisfaction or Better

First off I want to state that the official ToolCrib position is that ANY beer is too much beer for woodworking. We’re serious about safety and would like to remind you that the #1 most dangerous power tool is YOU.

photo by IJsendoorn under CC license.

A SawmillCreeker asked recently, “How many beers does it take to not jump on a machine?” The Creekers are safety oriented woodworkers so it’s no surprise that the majority of them have strict no drinking while using tools policy.

I went through and counted the responses anyways.

No drinking before or during (zero tolerance): 40
A couple while cleaning up: 8
One: 4
Up to 2 drinks: 2
Will use a hand plane: 1

Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Here’s the original thread: How many Beers?

Also recommended: Avoiding Drugs and Alcohol When Woodworking

Caulk is - in the grand scheme of things - pretty cheap. Still, there’s no point in wasting it, especially when you crack a new tube and only use half of it. SawmillCreeker David Klug asked “When ever I use a caulking tube I rarely use all of the material in it and when I want to use it again sometime later it has become hard and I have to throw the tube away. Is there any way to seal it so you can use it later?”

There are some great responses from the Creekers - where appropriate I added pictures that link to the stuff they’re talking about:

1) water proof wire nuts
-Roger Fitzsimonds

2) Buy a toilet wax ring ($1) and push the tip of the calk in it when done. the wax seals it up and so far I have not lost one tube of calk.
- Lloyd Brown

3) Duct Tape. Take a piece about 2″ long, and place the nozzle end in the center, both width and length, of the sticky side. Then just fold the tape down the long sides of the nozzle. The two sticky sides will come together. Then go back and press the tape closely around the entire nozzle.
-Ken Garlock

4) Recently I bought some little , well for lack of vocabulary little condoms, and they seem to work pretty well. I think it was Lee Valley that had them.
-Roger Fitzsimonds

(note, they’re commonly referred to as Nozzle Caps. Nozzle Condoms certainly seems appropriate though…)

5) a simple solution is to use a 16d penny nail just push it into the open hole and then put some duct tape around the opening.
-Ron McNeil

6) A golf tee works nicely
-Mark Hulette
(note - a golf tee probably isn’t going to last you that long but it’s better than nothing!)

Some other tube sealing resources that reinforce the above ideas:
How to Seal a Used Caulking Tube
How to Save Leftover Caulking

Other “Great Ideas” Posts:
11 Ideas for Wood Cut Offs
Table Saw Blade Storage
11 Cheap, Recycled or Free Items Useful in the Wood Shop
Seven Ideas for Drill Bit Storage
5 Tips for Removing Wood Glue from Your Clothes
Getting Sheet Goods Home: 9 Ways to Reduce the Pain

I just saw this on YouTube, thought you’d dig it. It’s pretty old I think but still cool!

Here are some other posts that mention SawStop:
Sawstop vs. Powermatic PM 2000 in the Professional Wood Shop
BOSCH Places Second in Battle of Power Tool Brands! Guess Who Got First… (SawStop placed 17th)
The 11 Top Woodworking Power Tools That Give 100% Satisfaction or Better (SawStop placed 11th)