Every few weeks, the idea that woodworking is a dying art form is discussed in a blog post, podcast, or forum. I think most people would disagree with that statement today, and I would tend to as well. But what about woodturning? Although it may not be as popular as general woodworking, turning appears to be growing in popularity and seems to be more appealing to a younger generation.

I recently met a young wood turner, Jake Guy, who is producing and selling absolutely stunning work made by hand on a lathe.  When I found out he is 14, I was absolutely blown away! I wanted to learn more about how he got his start in wood turning, so I decided to interview him.

Motivation and support are two key ingredients to success, and when you add talent and dedication it’s obvious why Jake has become a very proficient wood turner in only 2 years. Jake covers the motivation, talent, and dedication parts himself, and his parents provide the necessary support to allow him to excel. Jake’s parents, Theresa and David, have helped pave the way by supporting his interests and passing on a little business knowledge as well, and Jake’s determination and craftsmanship fuel the fire.

This interview is proof positive that age has nothing to do with being passionate about your craft, or the ability to give great tips and advice!I hope you enjoy learning more about Jake and his his work, I think you’ll find this interview to be very interesting and insightful.  His interview skills are excellent! 

Enjoy the interview…

How and when did you get started in woodworking/turning?

I have been doing this exciting hobby since I was 12. I found that I was interested when I was at a book sale. I picked up a book titled Turning Pens by Barry Gross. I pondered a moment, wondering if I could actually make something like this. I came home to research all was involved, expenses, etc. I was so fascinated that I asked my dad about getting a lathe. He eventually said yes, and I saved my money and bought one.

What do you enjoy most about woodturning?

I enjoy being able to take an unpretentious block of wood, turn it on my lathe, finish it with patience, and admire the color and grain of the finished product. It’s nice when other people can see the artistry and uniqueness represented in the piece and appreciate it as well!

What types of projects do you like to to make the most?

I primarily like turning pens, single-barreled pens, to be precise. But I also enjoy making the occasional bowl.

What tips would you give beginners who are just starting out?

Making mistakes is one of the biggest parts to turning when you’re just starting. As one of my woodturning friends, Richard Pulaski, said, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing much”. Finding a local woodturning group can be extremely helpful. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I am doing today if it wasn’t for them.

What part of turning do you find the most challenging?

On larger projects such as bowls, I find sanding to be the most difficult. On smaller projects like pens, it is preparing the blank, cutting, drilling, and glueing, because I find it the most time-consuming part of the process. And because I am really anxious to get it on the lathe and turn it.

Where do you get inspiration or design ideas for your work?

I get most of my inspiration from an amazing friend Dennis Ford. He has taught me a lot about woodturning. He has inspired me to try all sorts of shapes on a bowl such as a hollow form bowl, which I just turned a week ago. I also enjoy seeing what woodturners all over the world are creating through their photos on social media.

How long have you been selling your work, and how did you get started selling your work?

A year ago I started selling pens to friends and family that wanted to support my new venture. After I became more proficient, I started selling online. This past fall and during the holidays, I began selling my work at a local festival and a couple of different craft shows.

Do you have any tips for people who are thinking about selling their work?

Focus on making the best product possible, and keep investing until you have the money to upgrade your equipment to make better products.

If you want to sell online, good photography is a very crucial part. Most people will judge the product by how it looks in a well-lit and composed photo.

Also, having a well-designed website is another huge part of online sales. Having a clean, easy-to-navigate site goes a long way to getting the sales you desire. Advertising online can sometimes be difficult, and that’s where social media really plays a starring role. Having a Facebook page for your business is a great idea.

I really enjoyed getting to know Jake through this interview, and I hope you did too. This is the next generation of woodturning, and it would appear that the craft is alive and well!  I personally believe that as long as we all share the passion we have for our craft, it will never die out. In fact, it will only improve!

If you would like to learn more about Jake and see more of his excellent work, head on over to his website or find him on Facebook. I want to thank Jake, Theresa and David for taking the time to do this interview with me.

The post Is Wood Turning A Dying Art Form? Not According to Jake! appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

Choosing the right blade for your table saw can be tricky business. There are numerous brands and within those brands you have various blade configurations, angles and tooth counts. It’s no wonder emailer Pat was confused when he went blade shopping. Here’s what he had to say:

I am shopping for a blade for my used TS-3650 I just bought and will be buying a Dado blade also. I’m on a budget but good blades and safety are a must. Any light you can shed will be appreciated. I am still confused as to why some blades have fewer or more teeth than others. To which, the DeWalt #DW7647 has 80 teeth; the DW7646 has 60 albeit with the same Hook Angle. Wherein lies the advantage of one over the other?

As I write, I have five new blades in front of me, purchased this evening. Welcome to ‘Blade City’! Four will be returned unopened but I wanted all specs in front of me. The differences astound me. All are 10″:

– FREUD 80T “Ultra Fine Crosscut”
– FREUD Combination, 50T
– CRAFTSMAN Carbide C300, 80T, “Fine Finish Trim”
– DEWALT DW7647, 80T
– Oldham 40T Combination

But why the variance in quantity of teeth? What I am gradually picking up here is that some blades are better at Crosscutting, others at Ripping. My needs will be both. I am not a professional woodworker by any means but in due time I’d like to get into cabinetmaking. For now, until my skills are honed, it’s going to be lots of pine boxes, plywood, small items such as outdoor planters, indoor planters, jewelry boxes, bookcases, shelves, etc. You get the idea. Maybe just having one blade isn’t going to suffice for what I need to do. And on top of it, I want a clean, neat cut. The Forrest Woodworker-II claims to cut a finish where sanding isn’t required. How much do I believe that? Well common sense tells me it’s probably cleaner than most but also a bit of advertising embellishment. Or is it actually THAT good?

Like most things in life, having too many options leads to confusion and paralysis by analysis. So let’s simplify! Higher tooth counts (50 – 80) equate to smoother cuts. Because there are more teeth doing the cutting, you have less tearout but more heat build up and motor strain. Lower tooth counts (24-30) equate to rougher cuts. But because there is a lot more room between the teeth, dust is ejected efficiently and there’s less of a chance of heat buildup. That means less strain on the motor and an easier time plowing through thick boards. It also means you have a higher chance of tearing out wood fibers.

Now let’s think about the two cuts we make at the table saw, rips and cross-cuts. Rip cuts are made with the grain of the wood and are typically long in nature. This is the ideal situation for a low-tooth count blade. The aggressive cut won’t cause tearout because it’s cutting with the grain and the decreased friction and high efficiency make it physically easier to push the wood through the saw.

Would that same blade do as well on a cross-cut? The blade would have no trouble making the cut but the major issue has to do with tearout. An important part of making fine furniture is making clean cuts right off the saw, so getting tearout on our cross-cuts is never a good thing. This is where the higher tooth-count blades come in handy. The increased number of teeth results in a smoother cut. But what about heat and friction you ask? Well because cross-cuts are nearly always short in duration, there usually isn’t enough time for that to be a factor. So if you’re looking for a good blade for your miter saw, a tool that exclusively cross-cuts, you probably want a nice 80-tooth blade like this one.

Where you’ll run into real trouble is if you decide to use a ripping blade for cross-cuts or a cross-cut blade for rips. You’ll get tearout and burning, respectively, so avoid doing that if possible.

Now there is one more thing to consider, and that’s the beast known as plywood. Plywood has a tendency to tearout a lot, especially on cross-cuts. That thin veneer layer just doesn’t stand up well to sawing. So when cutting plywood, a high-tooth count blade is a must if you want a clean crisp edge.

In the ideal world, we would all have both ripping and cross-cut blades in our shop and we’d change the blade according to the activity. But let’s be realistic here: changing blades sucks. And frankly, I am just too lazy for that. So what I opt for is a combination blade, usually 40-50 tooth like the Forrest Woodworker II (for Pat’s saw specifically, I’d recommend the thin-kerf Forrest Woodworker II) A high quality combination blade is capable of giving you excellent results for both rips and crosscuts. Is it as good as using high quality separate blades? Nope. But for the convenience and savings in time I will deal with what little tearout I experience, if any at all. And after about 10 years of working with a Forrest Woodworker II, I can honestly say I have never once thought to myself, “Boy, that cut would have better with an 80 tooth blade.”

Is it capable of producing finish-ready cuts? In my opinion, no. The finish is incredibly smooth by table saw standards but I wouldn’t call it finish ready. That doesn’t bother me since I always prep my materials by hand before finishing.

In summary, 30 tooth and below for rips, 40-50 tooth for combination, and 60 tooth plus for cross-cuts.

Keep in mind there are lots of other options and features associated with table saw blades like tooth configurations, angles, and coatings. But in my opinion, nothing impacts the results of the cut more than tooth count. Perhaps in the future we can dive into some of these other details.

The post Which Table Saw Blade Should I Buy? appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

Choosing the right blade for your table saw can be tricky business. There are numerous brands and within those brands you have various blade configurations, angles and tooth counts. It’s no wonder emailer Pat was confused when he went blade shopping. Here’s what he had to say:

I am shopping for a blade for my used TS-3650 I just bought and will be buying a Dado blade also. I’m on a budget but good blades and safety are a must. Any light you can shed will be appreciated. I am still confused as to why some blades have fewer or more teeth than others. To which, the DeWalt #DW7647 has 80 teeth; the DW7646 has 60 albeit with the same Hook Angle. Wherein lies the advantage of one over the other?

As I write, I have five new blades in front of me, purchased this evening. Welcome to ‘Blade City’! Four will be returned unopened but I wanted all specs in front of me. The differences astound me. All are 10″:

– FREUD 80T “Ultra Fine Crosscut”
– FREUD Combination, 50T
– CRAFTSMAN Carbide C300, 80T, “Fine Finish Trim”
– DEWALT DW7647, 80T
– Oldham 40T Combination

But why the variance in quantity of teeth? What I am gradually picking up here is that some blades are better at Crosscutting, others at Ripping. My needs will be both. I am not a professional woodworker by any means but in due time I’d like to get into cabinetmaking. For now, until my skills are honed, it’s going to be lots of pine boxes, plywood, small items such as outdoor planters, indoor planters, jewelry boxes, bookcases, shelves, etc. You get the idea. Maybe just having one blade isn’t going to suffice for what I need to do. And on top of it, I want a clean, neat cut. The Forrest Woodworker-II claims to cut a finish where sanding isn’t required. How much do I believe that? Well common sense tells me it’s probably cleaner than most but also a bit of advertising embellishment. Or is it actually THAT good?

Like most things in life, having too many options leads to confusion and paralysis by analysis. So let’s simplify! Higher tooth counts (50 – 80) equate to smoother cuts. Because there are more teeth doing the cutting, you have less tearout but more heat build up and motor strain. Lower tooth counts (24-30) equate to rougher cuts. But because there is a lot more room between the teeth, dust is ejected efficiently and there’s less of a chance of heat buildup. That means less strain on the motor and an easier time plowing through thick boards. It also means you have a higher chance of tearing out wood fibers.

Now let’s think about the two cuts we make at the table saw, rips and cross-cuts. Rip cuts are made with the grain of the wood and are typically long in nature. This is the ideal situation for a low-tooth count blade. The aggressive cut won’t cause tearout because it’s cutting with the grain and the decreased friction and high efficiency make it physically easier to push the wood through the saw.

Would that same blade do as well on a cross-cut? The blade would have no trouble making the cut but the major issue has to do with tearout. An important part of making fine furniture is making clean cuts right off the saw, so getting tearout on our cross-cuts is never a good thing. This is where the higher tooth-count blades come in handy. The increased number of teeth results in a smoother cut. But what about heat and friction you ask? Well because cross-cuts are nearly always short in duration, there usually isn’t enough time for that to be a factor. So if you’re looking for a good blade for your miter saw, a tool that exclusively cross-cuts, you probably want a nice 80-tooth blade like this one.

Where you’ll run into real trouble is if you decide to use a ripping blade for cross-cuts or a cross-cut blade for rips. You’ll get tearout and burning, respectively, so avoid doing that if possible.

Now there is one more thing to consider, and that’s the beast known as plywood. Plywood has a tendency to tearout a lot, especially on cross-cuts. That thin veneer layer just doesn’t stand up well to sawing. So when cutting plywood, a high-tooth count blade is a must if you want a clean crisp edge.

In the ideal world, we would all have both ripping and cross-cut blades in our shop and we’d change the blade according to the activity. But let’s be realistic here: changing blades sucks. And frankly, I am just too lazy for that. So what I opt for is a combination blade, usually 40-50 tooth like the Forrest Woodworker II. A high quality combination blade is capable of giving you excellent results for both rips and crosscuts. Is it as good as using high quality separate blades? Nope. But for the convenience and savings in time I will deal with what little tearout I experience, if any at all. And after about 10 years of working with a Forrest Woodworker II, I can honestly say I have never once thought to myself, “Boy, that cut would have better with an 80 tooth blade.”

Is it capable of producing finish-ready cuts? In my opinion, no. The finish is incredibly smooth by table saw standards but I wouldn’t call it finish ready. That doesn’t bother me since I always prep my materials by hand before finishing.

In summary, 30 tooth and below for rips, 40-50 tooth for combination, and 60 tooth plus for cross-cuts.

Keep in mind there are lots of other options and features associated with table saw blades like tooth configurations, angles, and coatings. But in my opinion, nothing impacts the results of the cut more than tooth count. Perhaps in the future we can dive into some of these other details.

The post Which Table Saw Blade Should I Buy? appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

Collecting dust from sanders should be a priority.  Sanders do their job incredibly well which means they generate large clouds of dangerous fine dust particles in a hurry. If you aren’t collecting that dust at the tool, you’re risking your health.

Douglas wrote in with a good question about collecting dust from his sander.

I have a Delta 2hp dust collector with the HEPA bag and it works great, but (you knew there was a but), sanding is an issue. I generally hook up my shop vac to the portable sanders. They clog up quickly and then leave dust all over. I have yet to find a way to hook these smaller tools up to the big delta. Any thoughts?

It’s only logical that someone would want to use a big dust collector to pull dust from smaller tools, right? They are powerful and have a lot of capacity. If they work well on tablesaws, jointers, and planers, they should probably work just as well on sanders. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Although the suction seems pretty strong in 4″ piece of flex hose, performance take a huge dump when the pipe is reduced to the size of a typical sander’s dust port.

The big dust collectors are meant to move large volumes of air. If you restrict the 4″ hose of a dust collector down to the size of a sander dust port, you’ll very likely restrict the airflow so much that dust collection is ineffective. Furthermore, you could wind up starving your collector of air which puts extra wear and tear on the motor. A portable dust extractor, or a shop vac, moves small volumes of air but does so in a way that is still quite effective when using small hoses. The biggest shop vac hose I know of is only 2.5″ so you don’t have much further to go when reducing down to a dust port size.
The key to getting the shop vac to work better for Douglas lies in filter bags. Most shop vacs have filter bags that you can install in addition to the primary pleated filter. In my opinion, these bags are a REQUIREMENT for woodworkers. If you don’t use a bag, your filter will clog up in a hurry. Not only will it kill the air flow but you’ll shorten the life of your shop vac due to excess dust finding its way into the motor. I went through two shop vacs before I came to this realization. The bags aren’t cheap, but it’s better than replacing an entire shop vac. You’ll get better performance from your tools and your lungs will thank you!

There is one additional thing you can do to make your shop vac more effective at collecting dust and that’s to use a cyclone separator. But that’s a whole other ball of wax! If you’re interested in learning more about cyclone separators, check out this review on some of the common brands on the market.

The post Collecting Dust From Sanders appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

Collecting dust from sanders should be a priority.  Sanders do their job incredibly well which means they generate large clouds of dangerous fine dust particles in a hurry. If you aren’t collecting that dust at the tool, you’re risking your health.

Douglas wrote in with a good question about collecting dust from his sander.

I have a Delta 2hp dust collector with the HEPA bag and it works great, but (you knew there was a but), sanding is an issue. I generally hook up my shop vac to the portable sanders. They clog up quickly and then leave dust all over. I have yet to find a way to hook these smaller tools up to the big delta. Any thoughts?

It’s only logical that someone would want to use a big dust collector to pull dust from smaller tools, right? They are powerful and have a lot of capacity. If they work well on tablesaws, jointers, and planers, they should probably work just as well on sanders. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Although the suction seems pretty strong in 4″ piece of flex hose, performance take a huge dump when the pipe is reduced to the size of a typical sander’s dust port.

The big dust collectors are meant to move large volumes of air. If you restrict the 4″ hose of a dust collector down to the size of a sander dust port, you’ll very likely restrict the airflow so much that dust collection is ineffective. Furthermore, you could wind up starving your collector of air which puts extra wear and tear on the motor. A portable dust extractor, or a shop vac, moves small volumes of air but does so in a way that is still quite effective when using small hoses. The biggest shop vac hose I know of is only 2.5″ so you don’t have much further to go when reducing down to a dust port size.
The key to getting the shop vac to work better for Douglas lies in filter bags. Most shop vacs have filter bags that you can install in addition to the primary pleated filter. In my opinion, these bags are a REQUIREMENT for woodworkers. If you don’t use a bag, your filter will clog up in a hurry. Not only will it kill the air flow but you’ll shorten the life of your shop vac due to excess dust finding its way into the motor. I went through two shop vacs before I came to this realization. The bags aren’t cheap, but it’s better than replacing an entire shop vac. You’ll get better performance from your tools and your lungs will thank you!

There is one additional thing you can do to make your shop vac more effective at collecting dust and that’s to use a cyclone separator. But that’s a whole other ball of wax! If you’re interested in learning more about cyclone separators, check out this review on some of the common brands on the market.

The post Collecting Dust From Sanders appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

When I first started woodworking, chisels were one of those tools I owned because I was supposed to. All the cool kids had them so I did too. Over the years as I became better at sharpening and using them, chisels quickly became an absolutely essential shop tool that I’d be lost without. In fact, in answer to one of those silly “stranded on an island” questions, chisels would be on my short list of tools to bring with me because they are just so versatile. Not only could they help me build my new hut, they would also be quite handy for defense and hunting my daily dinner.

Like many tools, chisels come in an incredible variety of brands, styles, and sizes and it can be incredibly confusing to a new woodworker. The question of size, specifically, is what was on emailer Eric Johnson’s mind when he wrote this,

“I am really falling for those Japanese chisels you like from Hida Tool. If I were only to buy four of these to start out with; can you recommend what sizes you use most and would be good to get for a set of four? I am a typical hybrid type woodworker.”

So the quick and dirty answer, in my opinion, is 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4”. Of course having a 1” wide chisel is a nice treat too but I don’t consider it essential to a basic set. Let’s dig in a little deeper!

Eric mentioned two important things in his email that will guide the rest of this discussion. He says he’s interested in Japanese chisels and that he’s a “hybrid” woodworker, implying that he uses power tools for the grunt work and finesses with his hand tools. A lot of woodworkers adapt this “best tool for the job” approach and you can read more about it in my book titled Hybrid Woodworking (How’s that for a sales pitch?).

In case you weren’t aware, Japanese chisels are sized in metric and you usually can’t just pick up the standard sizes recommended above (at least I’ve never seen them). Fortunately, the slight difference between imperial and metric is a blessing in disguise, especially for the hybrid woodworker. Here’s one scenario to consider. You just created a 1/2” mortise with your router. You know the mortise is 1/2” because you used a quality 1/2” bit. You want to square the ends of the mortise so you reach for your western style 1/2” chisel.

Perhaps I’m just ham-handed but when I try do do this, I nearly always mangle the end of the mortise. Trying to fit an exact 1/2” chisel into an exact 1/2” mortise is a bit tricky. Cleaning the bottom of the mortise gets dicey too as any accidental side to side movement can cause dents in the mortise sides. Of course we all know that most mortises are hidden from view in which case it doesn’t really matter. But what about through tenons? The squareness and crispness of the mortise edges and ends matters a great deal! Another example to ponder is a stopped dado or groove. In some cases, the stopped area will be visible in the final piece and if you mangle the end, you’ll certainly be able to see it.

This is precisely why I prefer metric chisels as they are typically just a tad narrower than their imperial equivalents. The metric version of a 1/2” chisel is 12 mm. 12 mm = .472″ or slightly less that 1/2″.  So whenever I am squaring anything cut by a standard imperial piece of tooling, I have a very easy time putting my chisel in position and chopping without mangling the previously-established areas of the joint. This same situation holds true for the other metric chisels.

So ultimately, my recommendation for Eric is the following set:

6mm (approx. 1/4”), 9mm (approx. 3/8”), 12mm (approx. 1/2”), and 18mm (approx. 3/4”)

Keep in mind this is just my opinion based on what works for me. Whatever you do, don’t go out and replace your Western chisels in favor of Japanese style. The issues I presented concerning Western chisels are minor and picky at best. But this is what happens when you dissect a detail in woodworking and you should be used to that by now! This article is really only intended as food for thought for folks who are just now deciding on what chisel sizes they want to add to their arsenal.

One last tip for anyone looking to purchase some of these expensive Japanese chisels. Put your set together over the course of a few years. I find it helps avoid marital strife! If you have thoughts on this topic I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment below!

The post Chisel Sizes for the Hybrid Woodworker appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

When I first started woodworking, chisels were one of those tools I owned because I was supposed to. All the cool kids had them so I did too. Over the years as I became better at sharpening and using them, chisels quickly became an absolutely essential shop tool that I’d be lost without. In fact, in answer to one of those silly “stranded on an island” questions, chisels would be on my short list of tools to bring with me because they are just so versatile. Not only could they help me build my new hut, they would also be quite handy for defense and hunting my daily dinner.

Like many tools, chisels come in an incredible variety of brands, styles, and sizes and it can be incredibly confusing to a new woodworker. The question of size, specifically, is what was on emailer Eric Johnson’s mind when he wrote this,

“I am really falling for those Japanese chisels you like from Hida Tool. If I were only to buy four of these to start out with; can you recommend what sizes you use most and would be good to get for a set of four? I am a typical hybrid type woodworker.”

So the quick and dirty answer, in my opinion, is 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4”. Of course having a 1” wide chisel is a nice treat too but I don’t consider it essential to a basic set. Let’s dig in a little deeper!

Eric mentioned two important things in his email that will guide the rest of this discussion. He says he’s interested in Japanese chisels and that he’s a “hybrid” woodworker, implying that he uses power tools for the grunt work and finesses with his hand tools. A lot of woodworkers adapt this “best tool for the job” approach and you can read more about it in my book titled Hybrid Woodworking (How’s that for a sales pitch?).

In case you weren’t aware, Japanese chisels are sized in metric and you usually can’t just pick up the standard sizes recommended above (at least I’ve never seen them). Fortunately, the slight difference between imperial and metric is a blessing in disguise, especially for the hybrid woodworker. Here’s one scenario to consider. You just created a 1/2” mortise with your router. You know the mortise is 1/2” because you used a quality 1/2” bit. You want to square the ends of the mortise so you reach for your western style 1/2” chisel.

Perhaps I’m just ham-handed but when I try do do this, I nearly always mangle the end of the mortise. Trying to fit an exact 1/2” chisel into an exact 1/2” mortise is a bit tricky. Cleaning the bottom of the mortise gets dicey too as any accidental side to side movement can cause dents in the mortise sides. Of course we all know that most mortises are hidden from view in which case it doesn’t really matter. But what about through tenons? The squareness and crispness of the mortise edges and ends matters a great deal! Another example to ponder is a stopped dado or groove. In some cases, the stopped area will be visible in the final piece and if you mangle the end, you’ll certainly be able to see it.

This is precisely why I prefer metric chisels as they are typically just a tad narrower than their imperial equivalents. The metric version of a 1/2” chisel is 12 mm. 12 mm = .472″ or slightly less that 1/2″.  So whenever I am squaring anything cut by a standard imperial piece of tooling, I have a very easy time putting my chisel in position and chopping without mangling the previously-established areas of the joint. This same situation holds true for the other metric chisels.

So ultimately, my recommendation for Eric is the following set:

6mm (approx. 1/4”), 9mm (approx. 3/8”), 12mm (approx. 1/2”), and 18mm (approx. 3/4”)

Keep in mind this is just my opinion based on what works for me. Whatever you do, don’t go out and replace your Western chisels in favor of Japanese style. The issues I presented concerning Western chisels are minor and picky at best. But this is what happens when you dissect a detail in woodworking and you should be used to that by now! This article is really only intended as food for thought for folks who are just now deciding on what chisel sizes they want to add to their arsenal.

One last tip for anyone looking to purchase some of these expensive Japanese chisels. Put your set together over the course of a few years. I find it helps avoid marital strife! If you have thoughts on this topic I’d love to hear them. Drop a comment below!

The post Chisel Sizes for the Hybrid Woodworker appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

Like a good little elf, you just built the gifts in your shop. Maybe a cutting board for Aunt Edna or a vase for Uncle Bill. The finish is dry and it’s ready to go, right?

Uh oh! We still have to get those gifts where they need to go! Some of us are lucky and can simply hand the gifts to our recipients on the holiday. For others, those gifts are going to have to travel a great distance. And with shipping come those pesky shipping deadlines – many of them arriving this week.  Blech!

While your local post office and other carriers such as FedEx and UPS can get things where they need to go in a hurry, they haven’t yet created time travel – allowing you the flexibility to ship things to arrive in the past.

So this week, let us know if you are going to make those shipping deadlines or if you are going to be sending apologies for a late-arriving gift.

The holiday season reminds us to give back and help others in need, but Jeff and Linda Morton at Feisty Dog Woodcrafts have made it a point to give back all year round – to our furry friends. With an eye for detail and craftsmanship, they produce excellent work (my favorite is the Greene and Greene inspired pet feeder), and they also support animal rescue while doing it!

I was excited to be able to interview Jeff Morton to get the inside scoop on Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. In the interview, Jeff shared not only his background in woodworking and how Feisty Dog came to be, plus you’ll gain some really great insight into the business of woodworking.  Enjoy!

How did you get started woodworking?
I’ve been around woodworking from a early age.  My brother-in-law was a product design engineer at Black & Decker (was involved with the first VS drill).  Both he and my dad were fairly active.  BIL built furniture and cabinets and dad built more utilitarian things. I learned a lot about workshop safety, how to approach a project and how to enjoy the process.  Woodworking is my “mental floss” to escape the work/life rat race. I enjoy the tactile nature of the craft and the personal satisfaction I receive when a design comes together and delights the customer.

How long have you been selling your woodcrafts?
We’re starting our second year of actively marketing our products. We did ad-hoc projects for friends/family before that, but didn’t actively peruse the venture until fall 2013.

How has selling products affected your woodworking?
Sadly, quite a bit.  The ability to wander into the shop and make something for fun isn’t in the plan.  It’s now more on a production schedule: mill work -> assembly -> finishing.  Off times, we’re working on promotion, answering communications, coming up with new ideas, etc or acquiring project materials. It’s a little easier to not have a “real job,” to work around, but then the need to produce and sell scratches off the luster pretty soon. a PT job brings some money in while allowing time for the business, but…

Needing to make things that sell impulsively eliminates the ability to make enjoyable things that aren’t as directly sell able.  I want to build a Krenovian-inspired case as well as a “Greene & Greene light” project. Hopefully I will be able to do after the holiday rush.  Health issues have suspended shows for the rest of 2014, but we plan to be on the show circuit in late Q1/15. I also have a commission project in Q1/15 for some built in Stickley-influenced bookcases in a newly-constructed home’s rec room, but those jobs are few and far between.

How did the concept of Feisty Dog Woodcraft come about?My wife Linda and I have been involved in animal rescues for awhile, We’ve adopted three amazing dogs, two of them, Hunter (who is a Mountain Feist dog, a combination of a rat terrier, greyhound and Labrador retriever that has been bred for hunting squirrels since Abe Lincoln’s time – and the basis of our business name) and Daphne (a dachshund/corgi mix), are our “Executive Staff.”

Unfortunately, Trixie,who survived a horrific fire at a dog pound in southern Illinois in 11/2007, had a terminal illness and left us in 2011. Her spirit remains with us. We have volunteered for Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills, IL and perform pre-adoption site visits and whatever else they need to further their cause.

Woodcrafts by Feisty Dog was created initially as a way for me to avoid becoming a WalMart greeter in my “golden years.”  Based on the marketplace, I knew we could create and market quality handcrafted products for two and four legged friends – with some percentage of earnings donated to animal rescues – another way for us to give back and help.  It could develop and grow to the point when we wander off into retirement, we could take the business with us and keep going.

To increase awareness and contribution, we become affiliated with animal rescues, who encourages their staff, volunteers and clients purchase merchandise from us – with the net profits going directly to their rescue.  We also provide them at least $150 of free merchandise annually for their fundraising activities.  To date, we’ve donated nearly $1,500 in merchandise in 2014 to wonderful groups like PAWS Chicago, Save-A-Pet, etc. as well as our local Fire Department for their annual fundraiser. When someone purchases from us, we ask them if they have a favorite animal rescue.  If they do, it is noted on the receipt as well as our books.  We send check quarterly, and always round up to make it more beneficial.  If the customer doesn’t have a specific rescue,we divide the funds among affiliated rescues.

Unfortunately, economic realities in 2014 “encouraged” us to ramp up the business.  My wife’s job was eliminated in February. Fortunately she found a wonderful job with a great company in July – which she enjoys, and provided us needed healthcare benefits.  My job was eliminated in March.  However, I recently was offered a part time job and might possibly have other options in the near future. But the situation gave us an opportunity to really focus on the business, out of necessity.

What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out or thinking about starting a woodworking business/side business? 
First: STOP, take a breath and really think it through.Do your homework – visit local shows and do a little “intel work” – see what’s out there – primarily what’s missing and what’s selling. Check the internet sales sites and do the same “intel work.”  This was easy for me, since I’ve spent the last 34 yrs in marketing research with direct involvement with successful products like Gerber Graduates, America’s Cut pork chops, etc. and revolutionizing the market information/segmentation/analysis process in the home building industry (I also predicted the housing bubble 14 mos in advance, but that’s another story).

Once you’ve done your market analysis, decide IF you have something that is viable, and make sure you can build it right ALL the time – potentially in mass quantities.  To make money, you MUST streamline the process without cutting quality for time/cost savings – which pay you back.  Go with your strengths – especially if they are unique/different to what’s offered.  Don’t try to offer a bunch of things that you aren’t confident in the quality of design and build.  This is definitely a time when less is more.  Promoting your BEST efforts – even if it’s one product – is much better than having a bunch of so-so stuff on the table.

Establish a consistent BRAND identity and stick with it!  all of our are promotional materials – including show banner, booth signage and embroidered polo shirts worn at shows are based, literally on our BRANDing iron logo. (photo attached)  I believe that a consistent brand message   sets you apart from other vendors – that you have it together and MEAN business.  I also think that it might convey an “expensive business” image to those who are motivated by bargains/deals, but if they aren’t your targeted market segment or don’t even stop to see your offerings, who cares!

Start SMALL and grow s-l-o-w.  Go with a basic website at first if you have to with a small, finite number of products you can promote.  PayPal can be your friend, because you can take orders via emails and process payments through PP.   E-commerce vendors can be a slippery slope to an eternal abyss.  Let the business grow to the point where you NEED the larger, fancier site and third-party e-commerce processing.

Pick your shows carefully.  If you have high volume/low price products, craft shows, flea markets, etc might work for you.  Otherwise, target the juried art shows and up-scaled craft shows.  They cost more to participate and require a higher-quality offering, but the ROI is worth the time/cost/trouble, because patrons are more likely to appreciate (read: BUY) your products!

Where can people find out more about you and Feisty Dog Woodcraft?
We’re on Twitter as @feistydogww.  You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeistyDogWoodcrafts.  Our web store is at feistydogww.com and our Etsy store is at etsy.com/shop/FeistyDogWoodcrafts.

I hope that everyone enjoyed learning about Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. You can see more of their work and find out more about the support they provide to animal shelter organizations. Big thank you to Jeff for taking the time to do this interview and share some great tips for anyone interested in selling their work.

The post Giving Back Through Woodworking – Tis’ The Season appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

The holiday season reminds us to give back and help others in need, but Jeff and Linda Morton at Feisty Dog Woodcrafts have made it a point to give back all year round – to our furry friends. With an eye for detail and craftsmanship, they produce excellent work (my favorite is the Greene and Greene inspired pet feeder), and they also support animal rescue while doing it!

I was excited to be able to interview Jeff Morton to get the inside scoop on Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. In the interview, Jeff shared not only his background in woodworking and how Feisty Dog came to be, plus you’ll gain some really great insight into the business of woodworking.  Enjoy!

How did you get started woodworking?
I’ve been around woodworking from a early age.  My brother-in-law was a product design engineer at Black & Decker (was involved with the first VS drill).  Both he and my dad were fairly active.  BIL built furniture and cabinets and dad built more utilitarian things. I learned a lot about workshop safety, how to approach a project and how to enjoy the process.  Woodworking is my “mental floss” to escape the work/life rat race. I enjoy the tactile nature of the craft and the personal satisfaction I receive when a design comes together and delights the customer.

How long have you been selling your woodcrafts?
We’re starting our second year of actively marketing our products. We did ad-hoc projects for friends/family before that, but didn’t actively peruse the venture until fall 2013.

How has selling products affected your woodworking?
Sadly, quite a bit.  The ability to wander into the shop and make something for fun isn’t in the plan.  It’s now more on a production schedule: mill work -> assembly -> finishing.  Off times, we’re working on promotion, answering communications, coming up with new ideas, etc or acquiring project materials. It’s a little easier to not have a “real job,” to work around, but then the need to produce and sell scratches off the luster pretty soon. a PT job brings some money in while allowing time for the business, but…

Needing to make things that sell impulsively eliminates the ability to make enjoyable things that aren’t as directly sell able.  I want to build a Krenovian-inspired case as well as a “Greene & Greene light” project. Hopefully I will be able to do after the holiday rush.  Health issues have suspended shows for the rest of 2014, but we plan to be on the show circuit in late Q1/15. I also have a commission project in Q1/15 for some built in Stickley-influenced bookcases in a newly-constructed home’s rec room, but those jobs are few and far between.

How did the concept of Feisty Dog Woodcraft come about?My wife Linda and I have been involved in animal rescues for awhile, We’ve adopted three amazing dogs, two of them, Hunter (who is a Mountain Feist dog, a combination of a rat terrier, greyhound and Labrador retriever that has been bred for hunting squirrels since Abe Lincoln’s time – and the basis of our business name) and Daphne (a dachshund/corgi mix), are our “Executive Staff.”

Unfortunately, Trixie,who survived a horrific fire at a dog pound in southern Illinois in 11/2007, had a terminal illness and left us in 2011. Her spirit remains with us. We have volunteered for Fur Keeps Animal Rescue in Barrington Hills, IL and perform pre-adoption site visits and whatever else they need to further their cause.

Woodcrafts by Feisty Dog was created initially as a way for me to avoid becoming a WalMart greeter in my “golden years.”  Based on the marketplace, I knew we could create and market quality handcrafted products for two and four legged friends – with some percentage of earnings donated to animal rescues – another way for us to give back and help.  It could develop and grow to the point when we wander off into retirement, we could take the business with us and keep going.

To increase awareness and contribution, we become affiliated with animal rescues, who encourages their staff, volunteers and clients purchase merchandise from us – with the net profits going directly to their rescue.  We also provide them at least $150 of free merchandise annually for their fundraising activities.  To date, we’ve donated nearly $1,500 in merchandise in 2014 to wonderful groups like PAWS Chicago, Save-A-Pet, etc. as well as our local Fire Department for their annual fundraiser. When someone purchases from us, we ask them if they have a favorite animal rescue.  If they do, it is noted on the receipt as well as our books.  We send check quarterly, and always round up to make it more beneficial.  If the customer doesn’t have a specific rescue,we divide the funds among affiliated rescues.

Unfortunately, economic realities in 2014 “encouraged” us to ramp up the business.  My wife’s job was eliminated in February. Fortunately she found a wonderful job with a great company in July – which she enjoys, and provided us needed healthcare benefits.  My job was eliminated in March.  However, I recently was offered a part time job and might possibly have other options in the near future. But the situation gave us an opportunity to really focus on the business, out of necessity.

What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out or thinking about starting a woodworking business/side business? 
First: STOP, take a breath and really think it through.Do your homework – visit local shows and do a little “intel work” – see what’s out there – primarily what’s missing and what’s selling. Check the internet sales sites and do the same “intel work.”  This was easy for me, since I’ve spent the last 34 yrs in marketing research with direct involvement with successful products like Gerber Graduates, America’s Cut pork chops, etc. and revolutionizing the market information/segmentation/analysis process in the home building industry (I also predicted the housing bubble 14 mos in advance, but that’s another story).

Once you’ve done your market analysis, decide IF you have something that is viable, and make sure you can build it right ALL the time – potentially in mass quantities.  To make money, you MUST streamline the process without cutting quality for time/cost savings – which pay you back.  Go with your strengths – especially if they are unique/different to what’s offered.  Don’t try to offer a bunch of things that you aren’t confident in the quality of design and build.  This is definitely a time when less is more.  Promoting your BEST efforts – even if it’s one product – is much better than having a bunch of so-so stuff on the table.

Establish a consistent BRAND identity and stick with it!  all of our are promotional materials – including show banner, booth signage and embroidered polo shirts worn at shows are based, literally on our BRANDing iron logo. (photo attached)  I believe that a consistent brand message   sets you apart from other vendors – that you have it together and MEAN business.  I also think that it might convey an “expensive business” image to those who are motivated by bargains/deals, but if they aren’t your targeted market segment or don’t even stop to see your offerings, who cares!

Start SMALL and grow s-l-o-w.  Go with a basic website at first if you have to with a small, finite number of products you can promote.  PayPal can be your friend, because you can take orders via emails and process payments through PP.   E-commerce vendors can be a slippery slope to an eternal abyss.  Let the business grow to the point where you NEED the larger, fancier site and third-party e-commerce processing.

Pick your shows carefully.  If you have high volume/low price products, craft shows, flea markets, etc might work for you.  Otherwise, target the juried art shows and up-scaled craft shows.  They cost more to participate and require a higher-quality offering, but the ROI is worth the time/cost/trouble, because patrons are more likely to appreciate (read: BUY) your products!

Where can people find out more about you and Feisty Dog Woodcraft?
We’re on Twitter as @feistydogww.  You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeistyDogWoodcrafts.  Our web store is at feistydogww.com and our Etsy store is at etsy.com/shop/FeistyDogWoodcrafts.

I hope that everyone enjoyed learning about Feisty Dog Woodcrafts. You can see more of their work and find out more about the support they provide to animal shelter organizations. Big thank you to Jeff for taking the time to do this interview and share some great tips for anyone interested in selling their work.