Well, I've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks so I haven't gotten a lot of shop time, hence there hasn't been much to blog about. I have progressed on the second pair of built-in door frames after mucking up the first set and I have the doors almost done so it's time to start thinking about the next projects. Sure, we need a new entertainment center for the family room and I'll be starting on that soon but I have also been thinking about the other project I alluded to late last year. I'm referring to the video project I mentioned in a December 2008 blog. For full details of my rambling thoughts on it see the original blog about it here. I received quite a bit of positive feedback and interest in the video series through both email and comments to the blog post so I do plan to pursue it.
Suffice it to say that I've still been playing around with this concept and I have a project in mind and a general idea of what I'd like to do but I'm still working out the details. For one, I don't have access to a digital video camera. I have a still camera that actually takes pretty good video, which is what initially gave me the idea, but the problem I'm running into is the sound. The microphone on that thing is pretty weak and unless I talk real loud, it's difficult to hear me. Even when I do talk loud enough to be heard, the quality isn't all that great and I'm just not that happy with it so I'm still playing around with some other ideas with regard to the actual filming.
Hopefully I'll be able to figure something out to work out the videos. My fall back plan if I can't get the video concept to work is to do a detailed written project writeup in article form, however this is not my preference. So many hand tool skills and techniques really are best demonstrated and observed rather than printed. There are just some things that are difficult to put into writing and pictures, and even more difficult to comprehend from writing even though they may be very simple concepts. Hopefully I'll come up with a solution that will allow me to do this in video form.
In the mean time, for anyone who will be interested in building along once I get started, I have put together a basic outline of the project concept and a tool list that I'll share now in case you want to get a jump start. Keep in mind that this project is still in the development phase and may change as I go along so you'll have to bear with me. I'll try to keep you posted on my progress here in the blog.
The general idea of the project is that I will be doing a series of short videos, maybe 10-15 minutes or so each in length. The videos will be short in order to keep the file sizes smaller for easier uploading and viewing. My current estimate is that there should be somewhere around 15 short videos. The videos will be geared toward folks new to the craft and those looking to learn hand tool skills so I'm not going to be building a Chippendale highboy. The project will be simple but I'll be doing it with only hand tools.
I want to start with a brief intorduction and shop tour just to give everyone an idea of how I work. Then I'd like to do a couple of videos on the tools for the project, including which ones will be needed for the project, what to look for when buying these tools and how to tune and sharpen them all up. After that we'll actually get into building a piece of furniture using the tools we tuned up in the previous videos. We'll go from basic design and dimensioning through the entire building process right through the finishing step. In the end I think it will be a good start-to-finish series on a lot of basic skills and techniques which can be built upon with future, more challenging projects (which I may or may not do depending on how the first series goes).
So without further ado, I've put together a tool list for anyone looking to join in the project once it gets started. Some of these tools are optional if money is tight but they will make the project a little easier if you have them or can get them. If you have been woodworking for any length of time you probably already have most of them. If you are a beginner, you may need to get several. So here's the list:
-Long Hand Saw filed rip (optional; needed if you will buy wide stock and rip it)
-Backsaw, 12"-14" filed rip (optional but better for cutting tenon cheeks)
-Backsaw, 12"-14" filed cross cut
-Try/Jointer plane, 22"-24"
-Low Angle Block Plane (optional)
-Try Square
-Marking Knife and pencil
-Straight edge or yard stick
-Marking/Mortising Gauge
-One Bench Chisel (anything from 3/4" up to 2" will work)
-One Mortise Chisel (about 3/8" wide)
-Wooden Mallet
-Brace & Bit (optional but recommended; one bit around 1/4"-3/8" is fine)
-Screwdriver
-Liquid Hide Glue
-Sharpening Equipment
-stones or sandpaper
-tapered saw file(s), mil file, saw set
-auger bit file (optional but needed if you get the brace and bit)
I think this is a bare essential tool list for most projects. This list of tools will allow you to complete the project I'm going to be doing as well as plenty of others. If you don't have any tools at all, this is a good place to start that won't require a big initial investment. If you already have a lot of tools, try to limit yourself to this list and see what you learn.
So wish me luck and hopefully we'll be up and running sometime soon. I also hope you'll build along with me and then share what you learn to help out other folks. I think it will be fun!
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