Woodworking Tip #9: Wedges for Hungarian Shelves

Judging from traffic (see Dec. 13, 2009 post) there is a fair amount of interest in "Hungarian shelves," and though this system is very simple to construct, the required wedges deserve some consideration.  I cut these oversize, about 4" in length, to make insertion and removal a cinch and to provide easy thickening by merely shortening at the pointy end.  Use a precision cutoff blade, and set the miter saw at one degree.  Cut the block of wood with the grain, of course, so that the point has square corners, and then flip the block over to make the next cut.  The resulting wedges will thus be 2 degrees, an excellent angle for locking the shelves in place.  Stock shown is 8/4 to correspond with the width of the vertical standard.  Little practice is required to make nearly identical wedges, but if they vary slightly it matters little.  When the wedges will show, such as in upper shelving, they would probably look best finished to match.  Nonetheless, they possess an aesthetic of their own worth displaying.  See also: Slot Height for Hungarian Shelves

See also our shop at:  www.flyingcircusstudios.etsy.com

Artisan at the Holidays

Artisans and artists live on a precarious edge, crumbled even further by the economic events of the past couple of years, and they make an act of faith by continuing their work rather than retreat to more solid ground.  The end of the year is an appropriate time to reflect upon one's patrons who make that life on the edge possible, even exciting, the anticipation of the next rabbit jumping out from behind a bush.   And they do.  I feel a deep appreciation for all my patrons, past and present, with whom I have hammered out all the details of commissions, getting things just right and special, and who make the life of an artisan a privileged position.  Also, a big thank you to the gal who is always there to hold "the other end of the board."  The best of the holiday season to you all!

Lean Thinking Tip #6: Fast Sharpening

I read an author in Fine Woodworking who said something to the effect that he did not get paid for sharpening his tools.  I quite disagree, as sharpening directly adds value to a wood piece as much as plugging in a power tool. Notwithstanding, sharpening should not be time-consuming.  I aim to achieve not an Olympic edge but one which will nicely peel a shaving cross grain on hardwood plywood after about a minute's sharpening.  First, I hollow grind on a 60 grit aluminum oxide wheel by passing the chisel right to left four times resting on a tool guide fixed to produce a 25 degree bevel.  Second, the chisel goes to an ever so flat piece of 400 grit wet/dry silicon carbide paper attached with spray adhesive to 1/2" plate glass.  Holding the chisel off the side of the workbench I polish the back alternating with pushing the cutting edge gently forward while resting on the two high points of the arc made by the grinding wheel.  This alternation is repeated three or four times (more is not better!), and the chisel is ready to add value.

Tool Tip #8: Easy Fill for Portable Tank

Portable air tanks are not only great for filling tires, but also supply compressed air for such impulse tools as brad nailers, making for quieter, more peaceful installations.  Typically they are designed to be filled with an air chuck through a standard valve stem shown here within the knurled red knob.  Much faster and easier, however, is using a double-ended male plug placed into the female quick couplers of both the compressor and the portable air tank.  Thus the tank is filled through it's outlet (make sure the air valve is on!).  If you're fast you can release both female quick couplers simultaneously, and the male plug assembly just falls away with no air loss from the tank.