Wood finishing is one of the areas of woodworking that seems to confound many woodworkers.  It seems that there is always much trepidation after spending many hours in the woodshop making a beautiful piece of furniture that all of that work can be spoiled by a poor finishing job – and of course, it can!  Well, I guess we all either have to live with unfinished furniture pieces or we have to learn the proper ways to prep and finish our projects so that we can obtain the results we are looking for.

Michael Dresdner is a woodworker and wood finishing expert that has worked in many professional finishing shops and written about wood finishing for many woodworking publications over the years.  In this DVD, Michael aims to arm the viewer with the necessary information and techniques to: prepare a surface for finishing and to achieve professional results with one of several different types of finishes.  Although this DVD is a bit older now, the information presented is just as relevant today as it was when the DVD was first released.

Dresdner starts with a thorough treatise on surface preparation and sanding.  As Dresdner states – no finish will cover the sins of a poorly prepared surface – the steps to a flawless finish start with the proper and thorough surface prep.  In the DVD, Dresdner takes the viewer through the techniques of both power and hand sanding and discusses the properties of many of the sandpaper products on the market today.

With the surface prepared on several projects, Dresdner then shows techniques for three different hand-applied finishes: a wax finish, hand rubbed polyurethane varnish finish and shellac and wax finish.  Using everyday products and simple techniques the viewer is shown practical methods to obtain very acceptable finishes that will work well on many different types of woodworking projects.

Next, Dresdner visits Chris Minick, who shows how to brush on a flawless polyurethane varnish finish.  This segment discusses thinning the finish for better flow, various types of brushes and proper brushing technique.  The rapport between Dresdner and Minick in the segment is a bit corny however; the information that is relayed about brushing is both useful and complete.   Watching Dresdner and Minick brush the finish on a couple of nightstands shows just how easy a good quality brushed-on finish can be to obtain.

Finally, Dresdner covers the principles of spray finishing showing a home-made spray booth and several types of spray-finishing tools.  During this discussion he covers how to develop a methodology for spraying a complicated piece like a chair as well as adjusting tools for different spray patterns for optimal results. The spraying is followed by a thorough segment on how to clean spray equipment in order to keep it in top operating condition.

This DVD should provide any woodworker with the basic information necessary to understand surface preparation, the pros and cons of different finishes and different finishing methods.  Whether wiping on, brushing or spraying the basics of the techniques are all covered in this DVD.  With this info any woodworker will be armed with the skills and strategies to obtain professional quality finishes in a home workshop.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Hand Scrapers Understanding Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool
• Modern Shaker Table: Completion
• DVD Review: Basic Box Making by Doug Stowe
• DVD Review: Router Joinery by Gary Rogowski
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Chisels – Precision Preparation and Techniques for Presision Joinery

Doug Stowe is a woodworker from Eureka Springs, Arkansas and he has been known for his wooden box making for many years.  This DVD is a companion to his book: Basic Box Making and it covers the design and construction of  his boxes as well as many of the jigs and techniques that he uses to make them.

Box making is something that has always appealed to me.  The scale and scope of the work are such that beautiful and functional objects can be made with minimal material and in a relatively short time.  However, if you have ever made a wooden box, you quickly realize that a good deal of precision and detailed woodworking is required to execute one properly.  This DVD aims to demonstrate the skills and techniques required for every woodworker to do just that.

It is evident from this DVD that Stowe is a very good teacher.  He covers things carefully, and clearly, and in terms that a novice can understand.  However, that is not to say that the material covered in the DVD is elementary.  In fact, this is one of the better woodworking DVD’s that I’ve seen.  During the presentation of his box making techniques, Stowe covers the basics of wood movement and the stock preparation steps necessary to take rough stock to the point where the joinery can be cut for each box.  This info will benefit any woodworker in his or her quest toward any kind of woodworking project, not just wooden boxes.

Along the way, various jigs and techniques are covered as Stowe produces several elegant boxes made from domestic hardwoods.  Stowe actually takes the viewer through the construction and use of most of the jigs that he uses in his work.  Some of these are the: cross-cut, miter, box-joint and miter key sleds for the table saw and a spline cutting jig for the router table.  This is a big plus for viewers that may think that lots of expensive equipment is necessary to do accurate and precise work.  Stowe’s approach is decidedly low-tech but extremely effective.  This is evidenced in his discussion on jig building, including his router-table which is as simple and elegant as it gets!

The DVD also includes the construction of several box designs as well as discussions on sanding and finishing and hardware installation.  Stowe’s flipping story stick method for routing hinge mortises on the router table and attaching box hinges is worth the rental alone.  Throughout the DVD there are many other bits of knowledge from a seasoned woodworker/designer that are vary valuable in their own right – and as an added bonus the viewer gets to see how several beautiful boxes are made!  The designs that Stowe builds are a foundation for many other types of wooden boxes that can be made on the woodshop.  If you’ve ever considered making a wooden box this DVD is one that you should see.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Router Joinery by Gary Rogowski
• Twin boxes in Cherry, Maple and Walnut
• DVD Review: Basic Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson
• DVD Review: Profiles of Sam Maloof and Tage Frid
• DVD Review: Beginning Woodcarving by Everett Ellenwood

This DVD highlights the use of what is arguably the most versatile power tool in a woodworking shop, for joinery tasks. Rogowski is a well-spoken teacher and in this DVD he clearly covers most all of the basic information necessary to get started using the router for various joinery tasks used to make furniture.

Included in the DVD are discussions on the various types of routers and their uses as well as descriptions of the cutting action of the tool and how it can be safely used in both free handed and router table orientations.  Simple animations show the cutting action of the bit as material is cut using various techniques.  Rogowski covers standard cutting and climb-cutting operations and when each should be used.  This information is definitely valuable for the novice user of the router to understand in order to avoid possible accidents with the tool.

Rogowski illustrates various joinery techniques including: dados, groves, rebates, half-laps, mortise and tenon joints (with both traditional and loose tenons), and through and half-blind dovetails using simple commercial jigs.  In this age where woodworking gizmo’s are available for nearly every possible job, Rogowski’s demonstration and use of a no frills router table made from a single piece of melamine and a single board fence is particularly refreshing.  The techniques that he shows for making and adjusting joinery on this simple router table are well worth the rental fee of the DVD.  Also shown are some other simple jigs used for mortising and dadoing operations with the router.

While no router DVD would be complete without showing the cutting of dovetails using a router and jig, it is notable that Rogowski uses probably the most simple of jigs available for his demonstrations of both through and half-blind dovetails.  In doing so, he illustrates that perfect dovetails can be achieved with simple tools and a bit of attention to setups while testing in scrap wood.

For anyone new to the router and interested in exploring its potential for making furniture joints, this DVD would be a good starting point to become educated.  The router is a versatile tool and with some basic knowledge and simple setups and jigs, a great deal of furniture joinery tasks can be accomplished both safely and extremely accurately.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Basic Box Making by Doug Stowe
• DVD Review: Profiles of Sam Maloof and Tage Frid
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Chisels – Precision Preparation and Techniques for Presision Joinery
• Queen Anne Side Table: Dovetailing the drawer
• Hunt Board Class: Day 5

Sam Maloof

This DVD is a profile on Sam and includes insights on his life and work.  He covers a good deal of information on how he approached designing his furniture as well as taking the viewer through a lot of the actual steps to create one of his famous chairs.  Interspersed within segments of work in Sam’s shop are vignettes of the extraordinary house that he built and a good deal of the furniture and artwork within it.

This DVD does not disappoint if you are considering building a chair in the Maloof style.  Sam takes the viewer through building the seat, executing the specialized “Maloof Joint” and some of the process for shaping parts of his famous rocking chairs.  He covers both aesthetics and function in his discussions.

If you are anything like me, just hearing Maloof talk about his work and watching him in the shop is an inspiration.  Profiles such as this one offer a unique glimpse into what motivated Sam the woodworker to build what he did and how he did it .  Maloof was a generous man and that comes through clearly during the time you spend with him while watching the DVD.  We are fortunate to have this record of his life, techniques and work.

Tage Frid

In this DVD, Tage takes the viewer with him into his shop as he completes several projects.  Along the way, Frid demonstrates his methods for sharpening, creating a keyed-miter joint, doing half-blind dovetails and veneer work. Watching you will be surprised at the simple techniques he uses to do complex work.

In addition to the woodworking techniques and tips that he shares, Frid speaks about his approach to designing several pieces of furniture that you see displayed in his home.  He walks the viewer through the subtleties of some of the design elements of each piece as well as his rationale for creating them.

While the video is a bit dated and it has very simple production qualities, it is easy to look past those trivial things into the mind and spirit of a true craftsman.  It is easy to understand why his techniques have been revered for so long – simple and efficient are the perfect words to describe them.  You may or may not like the style of his furniture however; his techniques and insights into furniture design are definitely worth a look.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• Sam Maloof on design
• DVD Review: Basic Box Making by Doug Stowe
• Three Pillars of Design: Part 1 Function
• An introduction…
• DVD Review: Wood Finishing Basics with Michael Dresdner

This DVD is one of several done by Schwarz in conjunction with Lie Nielsen Toolworks.  I have previously reviewed another in this series: Coarse Medium and Fine, here at the blog.

This DVD discusses tools that have largely been forgotten and fallen out of use in most of today’s woodworking shops.  These tools include Hammers, Gimlets and Cut Nails, Draw Bore Pins and Hand Saws for ripping and cross-cutting.

Schwarz opens with a good tutorial on the use of Hammers, Gimlets and Cut Nails in toe-nailing applications for furniture.  He discusses how these techniques were used for many years in some antique furniture that is today regarded of the highest quality, thereby dismissing the notion that the techniques are either too crude and/or somehow technically inferior.  Schwarz demonstrates simple techniques for toe-nailing a shelf into a dado in a case side.  From the demonstration it becomes apparent that this technique is both easy and physically strong.

Draw-boring is a method of pinning a mortise and tenon joint that has the advantages of having superior strength as well as eliminating the need for clamps in the assembly operation.  In the DVD, Schwarz demonstrates draw-boring of a mortise and tenon joint and the use of a simple draw-bore pin for prepping the offset holes prior to inserting the draw bore pin.  In addition, he covers possible problems in this operation and their solutions.  A simple and inexpensive approach to creating a shop-made draw-bore pin is also covered.

Finally, Schwarz speaks to and demonstrates the use of hand saws for cross-cutting and ripping operations.  He notes that these are operations that do not require significant accuracy (as the cuts are later cleaned up by hand planes) but act as gateway skills for more demanding sawing operations such as cutting dovetails.  The demonstrations are done with vintage hand saws that Schwarz notes are widely available and inexpensive.  He uses a shop made saw bench to put the work in a proper position for efficient sawing making quick work of both a cross-cutting and ripping operation in a pieces of rough hardwood.  During these cuts, Schwarz purposely goes off his lines to discuss methods for easily correcting the cut.

Schwarz is a good teacher and his information is both thorough and accurate.  The video quality is typically good as in other Lie Nielsen DVD’s.  Also, as an added bonus, included on the DVD are articles from Schwarz from prior publication on the tools as well as the shop fixtures like the saw bench.  For anyone interested in the tools and techniques covered, this DVD would be a good choice to quickly get up to speed on their use.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Coarse, Medium and Fine
• DVD Review: Router Joinery by Gary Rogowski
• Using the Band Saw and Jigsaw for Rough Stock Prep
• DVD Review: Profiles of Sam Maloof and Tage Frid
• DVD Review: Basic Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson

This DVD is one of two done by Ellenwood, the second DVD by Ellenwood a complete treatise on sharpening for the woodcarver.  This DVD covers sharpening, material properties and selection and carving techniques.

The DVD opens with a good tutorial on the anatomy of wood and its properties for use in carving.  From there, the sharpening and use of the most basic carving tool, the carving knife are covered.  Ellenwood carves a small stylized bird as an example of a piece to carve with the knife to illustrate the process.  Sharpening and use of other carving tools like gauges and v-tools are covered next along with a section devoted to tool practice to develop skill with the tools.  The section on sharpening is particularly well done – no doubt this is a subset of what is covered on Ellenwood’s other DVD devoted to sharpening carving tools.  He does a good job of both describing how the carving tools work as well as presenting a simple method for sharpening them using sandpaper.

With the gauges and v-tools sharpened, Ellenwood moves on to demonstrate their use by doing a relief carving of a flower.  His explanation of the process is very well done and thorough.  Following, are sections on good woods to carve, how to layout and start a carving project, clamping work for carving and finishing ideas.

This DVD is aimed at the beginning woodcarver to provide an introduction to the sharpening and use of tools as well as some basic projects to get started.  I think that it achieves this goal very well.  I would rate the sections on materials and sharpening very highly.  For the carving examples I would have preferred to see more close-ups of tool technique and maybe the addition of another project, however, that may be better suited for an intermediate DVD on the subject.  Ellenwood is well spoken and clearly articulates his vast experience on the subject.  For the beginning woodcarver looking to get his or her feet wet on the subject, this DVD is a good mix of theory and practical application.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Basic Inlay Techniques by Larry Robinson
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Chisels – Precision Preparation and Techniques for Presision Joinery
• DVD Review: Coarse, Medium and Fine
• DVD Review: Hand Scrapers Understanding Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Handtool Techniques Parts 1,2 and 3

This DVD is the first and most basic in a series of three done by Larry Robinson.  Larry has a long history of inlay specializing in inlay for musical instruments.  This DVD series are a companion to his book The Art of Inlay.

The DVD production is very basic and no frills and Larry’s demeanor is fairly stoic.  If you are looking for a Hollywood production with lots of fanfare, you should probably keep looking.  However, if you want to learn the basic techniques of inlaying, this DVD should fit the bill.

The DVD covers a good bit on materials and their properties.  Even though Robinson uses only Abalone and Silver on the inlay project in this DVD, he runs the gamut on what kinds of things can be used and challenges the viewer to use anything that their tools can cut to achieve a desired result – and to ignore the traditionalists!

Speaking of tools, in the DVD, Robinson shows how with a modest set of tools you can achieve suburb results doing inlay while following his techniques.  Included in this section is a discussion on the simple birds-mouth sawing platform and vacuum system for collection dust that Robinson uses during his work.

The bulk of the DVD takes the viewer through the process of developing and inlaying a Butterfly image into a block of wood.  This includes the tracing of a picture of the Butterfly and the refinement of that tracing to optimize it for inlay.  Of course, the material selection, sawing and filing techniques for each of the puzzle-piece shapes in the pattern are covered as well as the techniques for inlaying and gluing them into the wood substrate.  The end result is a very nice inlay using minimal tools.  AT the opening and closing of the DVD there are numerous still pictures of Robinson’s inlay work for inspiration and after viewing him do the basic one in the DVD it becomes apparent that to aspire to work like his one must simply master the basic techniques that he prescribes in this DVD.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Profiles of Sam Maloof and Tage Frid
• DVD Review: Wood Finishing Basics with Michael Dresdner
• DVD Review: Basic Box Making by Doug Stowe
• DVD Review: Forgotten Hand Tools by Chris Schwarz
• DVD Review: Beginning Woodcarving by Everett Ellenwood

Like the earlier reviewed DVD’s on Hand Plane preparation and use, these were shot on location at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. Again like those DVD’s, these titles completely cover the subject of sharpening chisels as well as detailing specific joinery techniques using them. To quote Charlesworth:

“Chisel work is at the heart of all of the most sophisticated joinery”

Heeding this advice, it will benefit all woodworkers to learn about preparing and using chisels to ultimately help us in efforts to perfect our joinery tasks.

Chisels – Precision Preparation for Joinery

As the title suggests, this DVD details the subject of a sharpening chisels for use in the workshop. Specifically, in this DVD Charlesworth highlights both the concepts shared with sharpening plane irons as well as new techniques that are unique to sharpening for chisels.

Starting with the definition of sharpness as the intersection of two polished surfaces, and the statement that the quality of the edge is only as good as the quality of the polish on the surfaces, Charlesworth takes you through the process of flattening the backs of chisels and honing their edges.

This instruction starts with a discussion of how to use Japanese water stones to sharpen (including the flattening of stones with a simple technique using wet/dry paper on a flat plate). Two distinct movements are discussed for flattening the chisel back with an interesting aside on why a slight hollow on a chisel back is actually a desirable trait as opposed to a belly or bow. Along the way, Charlesworth touches on different scratch patterns and how to use them to your advantage to determine when to move to the next grit stone as well as why to avoid using the second sharpening movement on narrow chisels.

The discussion on honing the bevel of chisels covers a triple-bevel technique for fast sharpening. This includes a rationale for each of the primary and micro-bevels and their angles as well as a discussion on when to re-grind the tool. Also covered was a technique for using a jig and a coarse stone to correct for an edge that may have been ground out of square.

Charlesworth shows a nice water stone holding board for use when sharpening and as an added bonus the plans for this board are included as a PDF on the DVD.

The material covered on this DVD is a nice complement to the information on the DVD covering sharpening of plane irons.  Distinctions are made to compare and contrast the two techniques. The techniques for chisels are different and for good reason. Charlesworth emphasizes these differences as well as their merits for use with chisels.

Chisel Techniques for Precision Joinery

Before delving into the subject of joinery using chisels, this DVD begins with a survey discussion on various chisels types. Charlesworth speaks to the relative merits of various types and brands of chisels including both western and Japanese tools.

The chisel joinery discussions start using the half-blind dovetail as a teaching example. Here, Charlesworth covers the proper grip, hand position and use of the mallet when chiseling. While working on the dovetails in the DVD, he introduces a couple of specific techniques including: the “release cut” and “tenting” to remove waste material fromthe joints. Also discussed is the technique of horizontal paring including the proper stance and body position as well as the effective use of the hands as a breaking system for increased precision. During the discussion on paring, the concept of the “forbidden direction” is introduced and Charlesworth effectively demonstrates why you should never pare with the grain but rather across the grain in order to obtain precision results. Joinery techniques are continued with a shorter section on the mortise and tenon joint. Techniques for chopping a mortise and paring a tenon are covered. Included is the use of the tenting technique for trimming tenon shoulders as well as the proper techniques for levering and extracting chips from a mortise.

One interesting aspect of Charlesworth’s chisel technique involves the use of a hammer rather than a mallet for chopping in order to best hear the differences in sound indicating when to remove chips. In passing, Charlesworth also mentions one of the few uses for a chisel in the bevel down position – creating faceted pegs for decorative or structural use in furniture.

The material covered on this DVD is definitely useful for developing skills with bench chisels. The importance of the chisel as a precision tool in the woodshop is emphasized and reinforced. Anyone wanting to learn proper chiseling techniques and methods to improve the quality of their joinery will benefit from viewing it.

Don’t forget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s before the full Hand Tools course is developed, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Handtool Techniques Parts 1,2 and 3
• DVD Review: Beginning Woodcarving by Everett Ellenwood
• DVD Review: Hand Scrapers Understanding Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool
• DVD Review: Coarse, Medium and Fine
• DVD Review: Wood Finishing Basics with Michael Dresdner

Continuing the series of reviews for the SmartFlix Hand Tools course, this time I review the Chris Schwarz DVD Coarse, Medium and Fine.

Like the earlier reviewed DVD on Hand Scraper preparation and use, this one was shot on location at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in 2005. The DVD covers the subjects of surfacing rough lumber with hand planes, plane setup and use, and joinery techniques. During the DVD, Schwarz demonstrates the various techniques while building parts of a Shaker Cabinet to add some context for how and when to use each technique.

The basic premise behind Coarse, Medium and Fine is that there is a sequence of steps that should be followed (equally valid whether using hand tools or power tools, by the way) involving tools that offer a gradually finer finished surface on the wood. Specifically:

• Coarse Tool – used to hog off lots of material from rough lumber at the early stages
• Medium Tool – used to refine the surface left by the course tool and to prepare it for finishing with a fine tool
• Fine Tool – used to bring the surface of the wood to a state that s ready for finish to be applied

As Schwarz mentions in the DVD, the important point to understand here is that you should not skip a level. If you do, you will expend significantly more time and effort to get to the end result.

With the concept introduced, the first thing covered was the process of surfacing rough lumber with coarse, medium and fine tools. Schwarz discussed both tool selection as well as proper techniques for use. This discussion included the thickness and quality of shavings to shoot for with each tool as well as where to spend the most time and when to switch from one tool to the next. Schwarz’s admonition is that most people tend to skip the medium step in the process (whether using power or hand tools) and that this presents a false economy.

Next Schwarz spent time covering the setup and merits of each kind of tool and when to use each. Included in this section were discussions on the size of the mouth of each plane, the camber of the irons and set up of the chip breakers. Also covered here was the relative importance (or unimportance) of the flatness of the sole for each level tool.

The final section of the DVD covered various joinery techniques using hand planes. This is where Schwarz utilized the Shaker Cabinet parts to illustrate when and how to refine joints with hand planes. Covered here were: fitting a shelf to a dado, rebates and fillisters, edge joints, mortise and tenon joints and creating and refining curves. As an added bonus, the plan for the Shaker Cabinet that Schwarz was building is included on the DVD as a PDF.

In summary, Schwarz defines true efficiency in the workshop as: using tools that were designed by their makers for a single purpose, in sequence. Course tools for heavy work, medium tools as a mediator between course and fine and fine tools to produce the finished surface. The process is simple and most efficient if followed as described. I found the DVD to be well done and informative. Most importantly, by understanding the designed uses for each type of tool it becomes easy to contemplate following the simple process from a rough to finished surface.

Even if you will not use hand tools to completely surface rough lumber, the process and its parallel to power tools is important. Using both power and hand tools in sequence in a hybrid approach is something that also becomes apparent after seeing the process unfold on the DVD. I think that the content is equally valid for both hand-tool-only users as well as hybrid woodworkers like myself.

Don’t rofget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting this DVD before the full Hand Tools course is developed, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use. Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Forgotten Hand Tools by Chris Schwarz
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Handtool Techniques Parts 1,2 and 3
• Woodworking choices: Hand or Power?
• DVD Review: Hand Scrapers Understanding Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool
• DVD Review: Router Joinery by Gary Rogowski

Similar to the Charlesworth DVD’s that I reviewed previously, this DVD: Hand Scrapers, Understanding, Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool was shot on location at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. It is hosted by Chris Schwarz of Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine fame.

During the DVD Chris takes you through all aspects of the preparation and use of the simple card scraper.   The premise for the content of the DVD is an article that Chris wrote for the February 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking and called “A Better Way to Sharpen Scrapers”.  The article and the DVD are the culmination of a comparison of different 14 methods to find the best way to prepare and use this useful tool.  As an added bonus, the article is also included on the DVD in PDF format.

Much like the Chrlesworth DVD’s shot at Lie-Nielsen, the video production is not fancy. However, it is adequate with clear video and minimal use of graphics to reinforce the techniques and principles.  Chris is very articulate and clear in his explanations of the techniques and the rationale for why the card scraper is such a simple yet valuable tool.

The DVD starts out with reasons why every woodworker can benefit from the use of a card scraper and briefly discusses the the mechanics of scraping using the burr on the scraper.  Some good examples of scraper use are shown including: dealing with wild changing grain in a board, leveling a sag in a lacquer finish and eliminting tearout left from a hand plane.

Scraper preparation is also covered in detail including: filing, honing and burnishing the tool.  Chris shares some good tips and jigs for acurate filing of the edge 90 degrees to the face as well as ways to avoid gauging your water stones during the sharpening process.  Leveraging from the techniques that Charlesworth uses to sharpen plane blades, Chris also shows the use of the ruler trick as it applied to honing the face of the scraper.  With the scraper sharpened and honed, burnishing the edge is also covered in detail with a complete but short discussion on varying burnishing angles.

With the scraper freshly honed and burnished, Chris moves to the wood to show how to properly use the tool to get good shavings and results.  This segment included a good discussion with examples of the correct kind of shavings to expect with a properly tuned tool as well as the differences between planed and scraped surfaces (especially when staining a project). Though this segment was good as produced, I would have liked to see a bit more on the use of the card scraper in various woodworking situations.  Last is a segment on how to re-sharpen the scraper including when to simply re-hone and when to go back to the filing stage.

Essentially, this DVD shows a combination of the best methods of the 14 surveyed ways to sharpen a card scraper.  The techniques are well presented and easy to understand.  If you have never used a card scraper, then this DVD will make you wonder why.  If you have struggled to get one sharp, the DVD provides a simple and repeatable method to get reliable results using this simple tool.

Don’t rofget, if you are a new customer and interested in renting this DVD before the full Hand Tools course is developed, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use.  SImply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: Wood Finishing Basics with Michael Dresdner
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Handtool Techniques Parts 1,2 and 3
• Guidelines for good design
• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Chisels – Precision Preparation and Techniques for Presision Joinery
• The joy of a well-tuned hand plane

After this Hand Tool course is developed, there may be other courses (Power Tools, Furniture making, etc.) that are are developed through my reviews.  My understanding is that they will offer the course in a different manner than the standard SmartFlix rentals.  For the courses they will rent the DVD’s to users for as long as they want them instead of for just one week at a time.

Just for the record, I have no particular affiliation with SmartFlix except for being a happy customer.  I will not receive anything for this effort except for the ability to review the DVD’s. My reviews of the DVD’s will be my own opinions.  If I do not feel that a DVD is worthy of being in the course I will make that known and it will not be included.

The three DVD’s that I viewed in this go around were part of a series by English woodworker and teacher David Charlesworth.  The first three titles in the series and those reviewed here are:

• Plane Sharpening
• Hand Planing
• Precision Shooting Simplified

General Comments

These DVD’s were recorded at Lie-Nielson Toolworks in 2003.  Some of the footage shows David Charlesworth speaking to a class in a shop at the facility and other portions show him one-on-one with the camera in another location.   Some of the subjects covered are duplicated at both locations but the alternate scenes cover things a bit differently so, it helps to reinforce the points being made.

The video production is not fancy. However, it does the job adequately.  The clarity of the video and audio are generally very good and the use of graphics (though minimal) helps to reinforce the techniques being demonstrated.  There are enough close-up shots to adequately show the techniques, though I do think a few more close shots could have been inserted at times.

David Charlesworth has a very slow and deliberate delivery of the material.  He is very thorough and articulate.  His English slang for some things was not clear at first but, eventually it became clear what he was talking about.  In general, David is very methodical in his presentation – even repetitious. However,  in doing so he makes sure that important elements of each subject are reinforced.

Hand Tool Techniques Part 1: Plane Sharpening

In this DVD, Charlesworth covers what he feels are the three keys to effective pereparation of hand planes: getting a razor sharp blade, fettling the chip breaker and flattening the sole of the plane.  Sharpening of the plane blade is thoroughly covered as is the preparation of the chip breaker.  Though Charlesworth does not really show procedures for flattening the sole of the plane in this DVD, he does speak to why this is important.

The DVD starts with a discussion of sharpening with water stones as well as recommendations of two different brands. Also included are techniques for flattening the stones.  From there Charlesworth covers two different strokes for flattening the back of the plane blade – this is done in order to avoid tendencies for hollowing the stones.  Potential problems are discussed as well as their possible remedies.

Next is a treatise on sharpening the bevel of the blade including a discussion of grinding and honing angles.  Charlesworth chooses to always use a cambered blade and he discusses his rationale for this.   First is a demonstration of the Charlesworth “Ruler Trick” for honing the back of the blade.  For me, just seeing this one technique is easily reason enough to view the DVD.  This was followed by a simple and methodical method for cambering a plane blade using only finger pressure and a simple honing guide.

Charlesworth also discusses why the fit of the chip breaker is so important in hand plane operation as well as simple techniques for getting the best fit and operation.  Finally, the plane is set up with the chip breaker, blade.  Even this step is not without a simple tip for avoiding banging the freshly honed blade into the body.

Though this DVD is tailored toward sharpening plane blades (in fact, Charlesworth explicitly warns you never to use the Ruler Trick on your chisels) some of the the principes can definitely be extended to sharpening other tools.   All in all, this DVD shows a very simple, thorough and effective method for sharpening and getting the best out of your hand planes.

Hand Tool Techniques Part 2: Hand Planing

With the sharpening tasks behind him, in this DVD Charlesworth covers methods for hand planing edges, faces and end grain.

After a short treatise on what he calls Datum surfaces (i.e. reference edges and faces) Charlesworth develops a set of capabilities for hand planin both edges and faces of boards. These include what he calls Stop Shavings as well as Through Shavings.  With the use of these two techniques Charles demonstrates planing a slight hollow in the surface or edge thruoght the use of Stop Shavings and follows that up with through shavings in order to produce a perfectly straght or flat edge or surface.

Throughout this process with the use of simple a straight edge Charlesworth shows why he always prefers a slight hollow over a bump in the edge or a face of a board.  Similarly he shows how to eliminate bumps when they are discovered and aso covers the proper grips for hand planing and how the cambered blade works in the planing process.

In addition, there are sections on detectng wind with winding sticks and removing it with your plane as well as thicknessing a board to a gage line.  Also covered is the proper way to scribe a knife line and techniques for hand planing end grain and squaring edges with the cambered blade in the plane.

Though Charlesworth does most of the work in this DVD with a #5 Jack plane, he also shows the techniques with other planes including a block plane.  At the end of the program there is a bit of bonus footage covering how to flatten your workbench and showing how Charlesworth did exactly that to the bench used during the shooting of the DVD.

Even if you never plan to dimension rough boards with a handplane, this DVD offers techniques that are useful for fine tuning joinery and precisely sizing workpieces when building furniture. You’ll learn how the hand plane works and how to make the best use of it in your woodworking.

Hand Tool Techniques Part 3: Precision Shooting Simplified

This DVD is the shortest of the three reviewed here.  One might argue that it is the least useful however, my feeling is that there is tremendous value in the technques used for shooting accurate ends, miters and edges on smaller parts.

Throughout the DVD Charlesworth makes use of a very simple shooting board fixture and some accessories used with it to do miters in two different orientations.  Any inaccuracies of the shooting board itself and/or the squareness of the planes sole to its side are dealt with using a simple shimming technique to get perfect angles on the workpiece.  Also shown are methods for freehand shooting of edges for glue-ups as well as shooting veneer edges.

Something that comes out in this DVD is the “rhythm” of shooting a workpiece with a hand plane.  To me this is something that can only be realized though the use of video as a medium and not from reading it in a book.  Seeing and hearing this in action makes this DVD worth viewing.

As a bonus, on the DVD there are plans for the shooting board and accessory fixtures that can be printed for refence and building later.  Make a simple shoting board and armed with the information covered in the DVD you will have everything necessary for precision sizing of square and mitered parts.

If you are a new customer and interested in renting these DVD’s before the full Hand Tools course is developed, SmartFlix has offered readers of The Craftsman’s Path a $2 discount coupon for your use.  Simply use the coupon code: CRAFTPATH when you check out!

• DVD Review: David Charlesworth Chisels – Precision Preparation and Techniques for Presision Joinery
• DVD Review: Hand Scrapers Understanding Preparing and Using the Ultimate Finishing Tool
• In search of a smoothing plane
• DVD Review: Coarse, Medium and Fine
• DVD Review: Beginning Woodcarving by Everett Ellenwood