Last year I would have saved a lot of money if theyd offered 1-day passes to Fine Woodworking Live. It conflicted with my family vacation, and after paying for the whole weekend I had to go home on Friday night.

Im a die hard woodworking conference fanatic, so I knew what I was getting into when I bought the full pass. Still, I would have appreciated saving the $175.00 by only buying a 1-day pass.
Thankfully theyve just announced that 1-day passes are available for Fine Woodworking Live 2013. If youve been holding out because you cant make for the whole event and dont want to pay for the whole event, nows the time to book. Even if you just come for one day youll have a great time learning and hanging out with your woodworking friends (if your one day is Saturday, youll even see me).

Hopefully thell let idiots into the conference in 2013 too.

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3 Years On Ive Still Not Found The Ultimate Woodshop

It was three years ago today that I published my first post here, at the Penultimate Woodshop. It was a fairly routine first post. I introduced myself and thanked the online woodworking community.
As I reflect on it, Im now more thankful to the online community than ever. Im thankful for the help, instruction and friendship that Ive received from the community. While woodworking is often a solo activity, I know that sharing it with a community of fellow woodworkers enriches the experience beyond measure.
So please keep woodworking, keep participating and keep sharing. Thank you for reading (you can keep doing that too).
Dyami
com

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Ghetto WorkCenter Boom Arm Part I The Platform

As my regular ready knows, I have a track saw. Specifically, it’s the Festool TS55. I’m not of the ilk that think a track saw is a table saw replacement, but I do love the saw and use it often.

A great place to put the TS55, provided it doesnt fall off.

Typically, when I use the TS55 it is to cut sheet goods which are laid out on my BenchMark portable work table. Though it supports sheet goods, dimensional lumber and allows lots of clamping, the open surface of the BenchMark prevent me from putting the saw down on it (plus then the saw would get in the choice of the work piece). Instead, I found myself putting the saw down on it’s systainer which was alchoices sitting atop my CT22 dust extractor and roughly the same height as the BenchMark.Using the TS55 Systainer as a table to rest the TS55 on between cuts proved very convenient, but I was alchoices very nervous of the saw slipping off. While the TS55 is many things, cheap isn’t one of them. Between the electrical cord, vacuum hose and the systainer being attached to a dust extractor on wheels, I figured it was only a matter of time before I tripped over one of the cords or knocked into the dust extractor. Either accident would send the TS55 straight into the concrete of my drivechoice.The fear of pulling or knocking the TS55 to it’s untimely death got me thinking of the Festool WorkCenter Organizer. It’s a neat organizer of shelves and pegboard and tool holders that Festool created to fit on top of their dust extractors. Though Ive not personally used one, the WorkCenter Organizer seems to be a very well designed accessory, based on Paul-Marcel’s review.

The Festool WCR 1000 Workcenter Organizer

Unfortunately, it’s also a nearly $400 accessory. This was not one of the Festool prices I feel is fully worth it. Rather than spend almost as much as a new TS55, I opted to make my own version.The first step would be to make a platform with a raised lip that would both fit snugly on a systainer and also prevent the TS55 (or any other tool on top) from sliding or falling off the side.Building the platform was simple. I started with a scrap of ½” baltic birch plywood. I laid it on top of the systainer and aligned two (2) sides. Then I marked the other two (2) side locations with pencil. I cut the platform out using the TS55.

The platform is just the same size as the systainer (or so I thought)

To make the lip, I cut out stips of ½” baltic birch on the table saw. I used a stop rule to mark out ½” along the length of the strips. Then, using that line as a reference I clamped them to the platform and screwed them in with #8 stainless steel flat head screws. The stainless was necessary, but I like the aesthetics of it.Once the platform was assembled, I tried it out to discover that it was just a hair too small lengthwise. Rather than start over, I simply unscrewed the lip from one end and shimmed with blue tape. After a few test fittings I had it shimmed just enough to hug the top of the systainer snuggly.

Snuggly fit and no choice to slide off

The TS55 fits in the platform wonderfully, and now the only choice I’ll manage to damage the TS55 is if I’m clumsy enough to knock the whole dust extractor / platform / TS55 stack over.Satisfied with the platform, I began to plot out the boom arm.

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A few weeks ago the Tree House suffered a major setback when one of the main support bolts broke. After some immediate triage consisting of temporary supports to hold up the unsupported corner and supplement the two (2) bolts which hadnt broken yet, Ive finally managed to restore the sagging tree house deck to its original position.

Finally, a jack setup that works. The deck is going up.

By using a house jack (or two) and ultimately learning that I needed to brace the jack stand against the tree and screw it together to prevent it from toppling under the weight, I was able to raise the deck back to its proper height today. Its now held there with two (2) temporary supports.

The 4" x 6" which will make the new permanent supports are ready to go. Next weekend Ill begin digging out for the posts. Once theyre attached - hopefully this month - well be back on track to paint the sides and install the decking.

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Woodworking can be as dangerous as it is rewarding. Its important that you stay safe while you have fun in the shop.

Knowing that without safety there is no woodworking, The Wood Whisperer, Marc Spagnuolo, has lead the Woodworking Safety Week campaign for many years. He’s made his own posts about safety and he’s been kind enough to share links to other community members safety posts too. This years post is here.

This will be my third year writing a post for Woodworking Safety Day (formerly Safety Week). Both last year and the year before it was an easy post to write. My first safety week post was about a good friend of mine who took off two (2) fingers with a table saw. My second safety week post was about my dropping a spinning router bit into my left palm.

Luckily, this past year has left me with no injuries to speak of. Unluckily, that’s left me short of my usual cautionary tale for safety week. While I could tell you of my friend Tom’s recent kickback episode, I’ll leave that to him (Tom’s never short on things to say).

Ouch . Kickback - 1, Tom - 0. yfrog.com/ntv86rzj
— TomsWorkbench (@TomsWorkbench) April 28, 2013

Instead, this year I’m going to share some simple advice:

If you’re nervous, or what you’re doing makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it.

These are words I live by not just in my shop, but also at my day job at a commercial roofing firm. While I’m not here saying that you can’t get hurt unless you’re nervous, I will say that I feel being nervous makes you more likely to get hurt.

When we’re nervous or uncomfortable we’re also distracted. We spent too much time being nervous or uncomfortable and not enough time paying attention to what we’re doing. Getting hurt then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So please, if you’re in the shop and what you’re doing doesn’t feel right, please don’t do it. The right tool for the job, waiting for help or just resting and approaching the task with a clear head will alchoices be faster and cheaper than your injury.

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The Worst Day Possible Only Worse

Last Friday was a terrible day. The pain, suffering and loss which Newtown, Connecticut experienced will impact the families and community for the rest of their lives. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain being suffered there.

As moving as the events were, I wouldnt bring them up here if it wasnt for the location. Newtown, Connecticut is the home of the Taunton Press, Fine Woodworking, Fine Hombuilding and their sister publications. Luckily, no one at Taunton suffered a loss, though they will certainly never be the same.
In order to help those who were directly victimized, Taunton is suggesting donations to the United Way of Western Connecticut. They (the United Way) have teamed up with the Newtown Savings Bank and created the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. According to the Fine Woodworking Blog Post:

The fund will provide support services to the family and community that has been affected by the tragedy.

 I trust FWW when they say they have confirmed the fund will actually support the community. Im going to give. Id like you to also.

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