No New Woodworking Tips?

[Rick Potter]

Speaking of 'hovercraft' bandsaws, that is exactly how my local lumberyard used to make fancy end cuts on beams for porches/patios. Delta 14" on smooth casters on smooth cement pad.

[Lee Schierer]

In case no some of you haven't noticed, there is a sticky thread with "Tips & Tricks" in the General Woodworking Forum Sticky Threads at the top of the GW&PT forum. Maybe you will find a couple of new things in there.

[Randy Heinemann]

With all the woodworking magazines and resources on the internet, it would be difficult to imagine that there are many "new" tips. Most have been presented in one way or another more than once over the decades I've been woodworking. Therefore, to me, there aren't many "new" tips. Plus, I find many irrelevant to what I make or am interested in, cutting the number of "new" tips to an even smaller number. After reading Fine Woodworking since it began in the 70's, it would be hard for me to imagine there is much that is "new". I think the best woodworking magazines can do these days is to provide different perspectives or methods for doing the same task and even that is a bit tiresome. The one reason I subscribe to Fine Woodworking Unlimited, even though expensive, is that it gives me access to almost 40 years of woodworking methods and information. When I need to know something I don't know or just want confirmation of, I can just look it up and will almost always find the method or "tip" I need. To me, that's invaluable and, because it was in Fine Woodworking, it's based on professional techniques and sound woodworking principles. Who could ask for a better resource than that?

[Warren Lake]

go get a job in a top shop then you will see stuff thats not in magazines or on the self appointed internet gurus. One man shops dont see what goes on at the big levels.

[Bruce Wrenn]

go get a job in a top shop then you will see stuff thats not in magazines or on the self appointed internet gurus. One man shops dont see what goes on at the big levels.

Warren, five years ago,I retired from working for myself almost all my life. Even when working for others, I still ran my business. When working for school system, showed guys in cabinet shop how to make a sled to make angled cuts on 1/4" plywood. Shop manager didn't like anyone coming into his shop and "showing off." Before making the sled, they were cutting 1/4" plywood freehand. How dangerous can you get?

[John Kananis]

Freehand meaning no fence? That's just dumb... if I misunderstood and they were using a fence, what's the problem?

Warren, five years ago,I retired from working for myself almost all my life. Even when working for others, I still ran my business. When working for school system, showed guys in cabinet shop how to make a sled to make angled cuts on 1/4" plywood. Shop manager didn't like anyone coming into his shop and "showing off." Before making the sled, they were cutting 1/4" plywood freehand. How dangerous can you get?

[Warren Lake]

Bruce if I follow you are talking about the school shop manager and you were teaching a diff subject? Ive had three experiences with school woodworking. First was in college for cabinetmaking. I learned there are good and bad teachers after asking before a function and got nailed bad. The positive was a real guy asked what happened next day. No one else cared. I explained I asked and what I was told, he turned red and shook his head. The positive was 30 plus years with that man and all that came from him. My other two school experiences were purchases, I have next no respect for high school woodworking. I made it a point after the last experience to call a number of shops high school and colleges to talk to teachers about their process and get a feel for what is going on. My time i lucked out I got the last of the old europeans teaching and one of them had big history. He would not be allowed to teach now as you have to have degrees.

My friend was in a big shop, fought with the owner in front of all the employees that were all terrified of the owner. Steve never got fired as bottom line the owner knew Steve made a lot of money for him. I let my friend use my shop. He showed me stuff that showed me just how much more went on. Custom modified tools and machines and ways of doing things just smarter. Some were not the nicest places to work.

I wish I had taped Steve and the best two old guys I knew. One other british guy I met. He was still working in his 80's but only six hours a day as he liked to get to the pub.