|
|
|
|
Workshop Wisdom Works Wonders!
by J. Norman Reid
One of the great features of the Highland Woodworking website is a somewhat hidden resource for woodworkers. Workshop Wisdom is a searchable index to the more than 6000 articles and tips published on the Highland web site over the last five decades. Altogether, it makes up a wealth of expertise and experience that’s a valuable knowledge tool for woodworkers.
Recently, I made a search for “woodworking projects,” hoping to come up with a few ideas for the shop. The result was 2240 hits, far more than I was prepared to wade through, just to find that one great idea. So, I switched course and searched on “finishing,” a topic about which I’m often in need of advice; that resulted in even more hits, 2738!
Following on these rather general queries, I decided to pursue more precise topics of current interest to me. I want to build a small table and I’m on the lookout for fresh ideas and plans. But a search on “table” brought up 1910 results, way too many for me to handle. So, I got more specific and entered “river table.” This gave me a more reasonable 121 entries to investigate. From there, a leisurely stroll through the results got me some ideas to consider as I ponder the design of a future project. This search got me the idea of making a tabletop with a “river” of contrasting wood with a natural edge-like shape, instead of a poured river of epoxy or another liquid material. I’m now working on plans to make such a project, thanks to Workshop Wisdom.
I also want to make some safety tools for my shop. “Shop made tools” gave me 1151 responses, so I drilled down with “safety tools homemade.” This produced a more manageable 121 hits. When I searched for “push blocks,” I got 103 hits. From these I was able to get several ideas I can use to create a fresh set of tools.
I want to build some toys and furniture for my grandson and soon-to-arrive granddaughter. A key question is what finishes are safe to use with young children. “Finish” is a huge topic in Workshop Wisdom, and a quick search brought up 2738 entries, many of them valuable advice from Alan Noel. A deeper dive into “milk paint” brought up 63 responses and informed me that milk paint, when fully cured, is completely safe. “Food safe finishes” was another useful search term, which narrowed the list to 26 results. From these articles I learned that Trans Tint dyes, which I’d been considering, are not safe for toys unless coated with a protective finish. This is true for aniline dyes in general, I found. I plan to stick with milk paint.
I’ve owned a Shaper Origin for a while now, but I’m still learning the many ways it can be used in the woodshop. A search on “Shaper” brought up 31 results. Though this is a small number of hits compared to my other searches, I uncovered several helpful videos Highland has posted that gave me some great ideas for projects. Who knew they were there, hidden within this wealth of information, waiting to be discovered? Without Workshop Wisdom, I’d never have found them.
As my searches here have shown, the best success comes from posing search questions that are as specific as possible. This will keep you from being flooded with too many results to wade through. However, sometimes scrolling through a generic search like “chairs,” which brings up 559 results, is a good way to scope out a topic and decide how to phrase a more precise set of follow-up queries. When you don’t know what you’re looking for, a serendipitous finding can be not only delightful but valuable.
It should go without saying that Workshop Wisdom is now one of the sites I rely upon to find answers to my questions and solutions to my problems. I had a lot of fun weaving my way through this session with Workshop Wisdom and the time I spent with it was both profitable and enjoyable. What more can you ask from such a valuable asset?
Oh, and did I mention that it’s free?
_________________________________________________________________________________
The author is a woodworker, writer, photographer, and woodworking instructor living in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, a woodshop full of power and hand tools and five cats who think they are cabinetmaker’s assistants. He is the author of "Choosing and Using Handplanes: All You Need to Know to Get Started Planing by Hand", and co-owner of Shenandoah Tool Works. He can be contacted at jnreid45@gmail.com.
|
|
|
|
|
