Blog Posts

Welcome to my new website. This is a place for me to post additional information, when it won’t all fit into a video. Or possibly even post plans, at some point in the future.

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This is actually a reply to a question I got on my YouTube video Dust Collection for Newbies: Introduction to Dust Collection, but I thought I’d post it here in case I needed to refer to it again.

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This is the saga of my trying to buy a decent Brad Point drill bet set. Eventually, I ended up with a fairly decent set of bits. But it didn’t start out that way. Let me tell you the story…

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I’ll never understand why some people give a YouTube video a “thumbs down” without leaving a comment explaining why.

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One of my viewers asked a question on one of my videos, and I had trouble answering it. By the time I was done writing a reply, it turned into a novel, so I thought I’d turn it into a blog post. It might even turn into a future video.

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Last October, I released my Corner Clamp video, which includes plans that can be purchased for $5. And then 5 days ago, I released my Lever-Operated Router Lift video, again with $5 plans.

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Yesterday, I talked a lot about whether I thought the “Powered Up” online course was worth the money or not. Last night I realized that I had the wrong price in my head. Long story - short version: Never trust the memory of a 62-year-old. Or at least this 62-year-old.

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Don’t worry, “change of plans” doesn’t mean I’m not going to continue blogging or anything. It literally means I changed the plans. The project plans.

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Yes, I’m still tweaking the SketchUp model for this project. First of all, I’m extremely anal when it comes to stuff like this. For instance, a while ago I made Baltic Birch textures, including the end grain, running both vertically and horizontally. If you want to download them, let me know because I’ve got updated textures I haven’t uploaded to 3D Warehouse.

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Yes, with the help of my wife, I actually cut some wood tonight! 4 pieces of plywood. 4 PIECES! Are you impressed yet?

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In case you missed yesterday’s post, I discovered moisture damage to my stock of plywood:

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Because of the moisture problem I found in my stack of plywood yesterday (actually, it was the day before):

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I’m finally starting to do actual work on Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course. Here’s some of my thoughts and impressions so far. Both the good and… the could be better.

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I’m starting to question the structural integrity of the changes I’m making to this cabinet. What, you thought I was questioning Steve’s integrity? Perish the thought! I don’t know Steve personally, but he strikes me as incredibly integral as having boatloads of integrity. It’s my choices that are under scrutiny here.

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Sorry I haven’t posted in a couple of days. I had a video to get out. And I feel another video coming on…

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Anyone else feel like this is taking me forever? Part of the problem is I have other things that I need to do at the same time. Even so, I still can’t believe this isn’t done yet. Sigh.

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Yes, “stuff” happens, and it happened a lot today.

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It dawned on me yesterday that I may not have completely explained why I’m changing the plans. There’s nothing wrong with the plans for the first project in Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course, but I’m changing them anyway, to fit my needs. Steve has even said that he encourages it.

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Got lots of good work done today. It’s starting to look an awful lot like a cabinet!

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Yes, this is a post saying there isn’t a post. I’ll explain why in the next post, which will hopefully be tomorrow.

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So what happened yesterday, and why didn’t I post about it? By the time the day was done, I was worn out and just wanted to go to sleep, and start over fresh, today.

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I’m not sure if this is a review of a portion of Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course, or a rant from someone who’s just frustrated. Also, to be clear, Steve is a better YouTuber than I’ll ever hope to be, but that doesn’t mean I can’t criticize, right? I mean, I’d criticize myself in the exact same way, so why cut Steve some slack?

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In yesterday evening’s post I went on a rant. I still think my points were valid. But I think I know why I had some of the issues I had.

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I finally got the hinges on, at least enough to show whether the doors are the right size or not (they are):

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Short post today. Things took longer than I’d hoped, but here we are:

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NOTE: This post is intentionally long, to give you some feel for how many details there are in some seemingly simple tasks. If you don’t want to wade through everything, just scroll to the bottom to see the results. But you’ll be missing out on all the fun!

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To make up for yesterday’s long post, this one will be short. Just kidding. Not about this being short, but the reason. The actual reason is I’m trying to get a quick video done. Gotta pay the bills, right? 😛

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I spent the day finishing up my new video. It’s uploading right now. I’ll be back to normal blogging tomorrow.

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I finally hung up my tools. Not like I’m quitting - I actually hung them up… on the pegboard. But you already knew that, in spite of my poor attempt at being clever. 😏

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So I’ve decided what I’m going to do next. I’m going to split time between editing the footage from the first Powered Up project, and starting what is actually the third Powered Up project, the Benchtop Router Table.

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I’m having a discussion on the Lumberjocks Forum about a problem I’m having with a box joint blade set. It’s cutting a kerf narrower than 1/4”, even though I swear it didn’t do that before. And I have the same problem with an almost-brand-new Dado set that should cut a 1/4” kerf when only the outside blades are used.

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So I’m trying to finish up my lumber cubbyhole, specifically the scrap wood drawer.

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I’ve been posting these pictures everywhere, so chances are you’ve already seen them. But maybe you haven’t.

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I’m starting what is actually the third project in Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course, the Benchtop Router Table. And of course I can’t ever do anything the way the plans say.

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I started building the router lift today.

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Day 3 of building my router lift. But apparently not just the router lift, today.

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Day 4 of building my router lift. This will be short and sweet.

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Pondering why it takes me so long to build projects, and wondering: If time flies, where does it fly to?

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If you’ve been following me on Instagram, or you’ve been reading some of my posts in Steve’s private Facebook group, then this post may be redundant. But I’ve been spending the day with friends, taking a trip to Rockler, messing with my blog page navigation buttons, and doing other generally boring stuff, so this is all I’ve got for today.

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This is going to be a much longer post than I normally write (although it’s really only a 4 or 5 minute read for most people). But I encourage you to read it all the way through, if you’re at all interested in what I go through every time I make a video. Read it to the end, because you won’t get the full impact until then.

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This post will be a little schizophrenic today, with several disparate topics. And if I’m using “schizophrenic” and “disparate” in the first sentence, you know we’re in for a strange ride.

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I’ve always had a love affair with Baltic Birch plywood. Even before I knew what to call it, I’d see a picture of something made from it, with the end grain showing, and I just wanted to touch it. Stroke my hand along its smooth edges. *ahem*

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From the very beginning, I struggled with whether Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course is worth the price. See this post and this post for more info. I think I’m ready to answer that question now.

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Time to cut the rabbets, and glue up the carcase. I actually did this yesterday, but I decided to post my Power Up review yesterday, and leave the Router Table work for today’s blog.

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I’m trying to finish up a video, and then have a semi-relaxing weekend, so I’m not planning any Powered Up blog posts until Monday. If something comes along I want to share, I’ll post it and post on Instagram also, but like I said, nothing planned.

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I finally got my video out, so back to working on Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course. Except I have some issues, and I’m not sure how to progress.

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the cabinet for the benchtop router table for Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course was bowed out on both the top and the bottom, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I was “stuck”.

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Remember in yesterday’s post, how I said I was so close to having a mistake-free day? Turns out, not so close after all.

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I installed the router lift in the table today. It was a great day. No mistakes. Honest!

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Yesterday I installed the router lift in the table. I’ve spent today deciding how to build the doors, which actually won’t be doors, but a “facade”. Here’s a quick explanation.

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Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. I was fighting a migraine. It’s 4:40 AM, and this is what I got done yesterday.

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“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” is one of the truest sayings, especially when the man is me, and the subject is woodworking. By the way, I’m fighting a cold so my posts are a little more sporadic. I’m seeing the doctor today. Anyway…

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Still having issues cutting consistent tongue and groove joints. The problem is mostly equipment related, with a spattering of periodic stupidity. I’m not in the mood to talk about the equipment issues right now, and I’m sure you’re tired of reading about my stupidity.

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As I said in yesterday’s post, I had a bad day trying to cut tongue and groove joints on my table saw. Here’s a few of the details.

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I spent yesterday playing around with the Freud Tongue & Groove Router Bit set, making sure I understood how it worked. Today I used it for real, and I have to say, the results were pretty darn good for the first time.

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I’m working on a new video, so I don’t have any blog posts planned until Monday. Yes, this is a blog post telling you there’s no blog post. Think about that for a while.

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Most of you who read this blog already know this from my social media posts, but yesterday I found out that my SawStop brake works just fine. I stuck my thumb in the blade, and BAM! the brake kicked in, and saved my thumb.

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This post is about how my ADD affects my woodworking, and a revelation I just had that I think will have a huge positive impact on my woodworking life, and hopefully others. If you agree, please share this post.

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I got the tongue & groove video out yesterday, and I got a little more done today. But my posts will be kind of sporadic for a little while, because I managed to slice a finger yesterday, and a thumb today, on the same f’ing chisel blade. That makes it a little difficult to type, and I’m actually a little discouraged for having done 3 dangerously stupid things in the span of a week. So I’m in no hurry to get anything else done for a while.

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The faux doors are done, glued up, and mostly sanded. I’m waiting on a new forstner bit that arrives tomorrow, before I add the magnets.

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This weekend I spent a lot of time trying to decide if I wanted to sell my SawStop JobSite Saw (“JSS”), and buy a SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw (“PCS”). (The answer is, obviously, YES.)

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After a lot of research and a lot of thinking, I’ve decided, well 98% sure anyway, to keep my SawStop JobSite saw.

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I’m working on another video, so I haven’t done a lot of work on the router table, but I actually have done something.

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Decision made. I’m selling my SawStop JobSite saw on Facebook Marketplace. I decided to buy the SawStop Cabinet Saw (PCS).

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There was an interesting post in the SawStop Users’ Group on Facebook, by Owen Howlett. I asked him if I could share it in my blog and he graciously said “yes”. I’ll try to do it justice here by copying and pasting, but I’ll also ask Owen to comment on the post once it’s up. If I make any changes, I’ll modify the title or something so you know there’s new info.

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Every once in a while I get a comment on my YouTube channel asking how I made the cabinets in my garage.

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I bought the 1.75hp SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw with the 36” top and T-Glide fence from the Woodcraft store in Fountain Valley, CA. The store’s run by a really nice couple - the kind of people I’d love to get to know. Too bad the store is so far away, relatively speaking. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop in and say Hi.

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I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I bought a new SawStop PCS (Professional Cabinet Saw), but I didn’t have a lot of time to elaborate. So I’ll bring you up to speed here, even though I still have a lot of assembling left to do. But if I wait until later tonight, I’ll be too tired to write.

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I’m 62 years old, but normally I don’t feel old at all. Oh, some grunting when I get up out of a chair, a few aches and pains, but I just don’t normally feel like I’m 62. Until today.

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In Sunday’s post, I showed getting the SawStop PCS home. Then the “fun” started.

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The title says it all.

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This is part 2 of assembling my new SawStop PCS. I left off with having just attached the cast iron wings:

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I’m not planning any posts this weekend. I want to play with my new saw, and not be distracted. Do you blame me?

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If you saw my most recent video, or you’ve been following along in this blog, you know I replaced my SawStop JobSite Saw (JSS) with a SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw (PCS). People have been asking me why I did it. I’ll be putting out a video explaining it, but until then, I thought I’d give you an explanation here.

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It’s been a busy day. I uploaded a quick tip video, then I received some comments that made me realize I didn’t explain it very well. So I uploaded an updated video, in which I managed to… well, you can watch the video.

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It was time to say goodbye to a dearly beloved friend today - someone who had been there for me from the beginning, but always put me in place when I got out of line. Yes, it was time to say goodbye…

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In yesterday’s post, I mentioned I was having fun with a troll, and suggested you might want to join in on the fun.

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Sorry for the sporadic posts lately.

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I received a comment on my SawStop Saved My Thumb video, and I’m trying to come up with a good response. I’m hoping some of you might have some suggestions. And just so you know, contrary to what you might think, these comments don’t bother me. I usually come up with pretty good responses. But this one has me a little stumped.

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I’ve got a new article up about how to setup a SawStop PCS T-Glide fence. I’d like any input you might care to give. I already have some changes coming, but I know it’s a work in progress.

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Today I tried again to clean some rust and smudges off my SawStop PCS’s cast iron table, and put a protective coating on it. It continues to amaze me that I don’t seem to be able to exhaust the ways in which I can fail, or at least not totally succeed. But I continue to gain comfort in the knowledge that my failures are the reason I can create videos and articles that help other people avoid those failures.

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Sometimes, when engaging in a creative endeavor like making videos, writing books, or making music, there comes a time when you just hit a wall. Full stop. WTF am I doing, how did I get here, and can I go home now?

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In yesterday’s post I talked about hitting a wall, and how I needed a little break. It’s actually perfect timing, because The Masters (golf tournament) started today, and my wife and I love to watch the TV coverage.

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I’ve got a new article up with some tips I learned while assembling my SawStop PCS.

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Sometimes it’s hard to be a YouTube content creator. You have to come up with a new idea, figure out how to present it, then film it and edit it so that people won’t lose interest and stop watching. Not to mention coming up with a thumbnail and title that hopefully will interest people, without misrepresenting what the video is actually about (clickbait). But that’s not what this post is about.

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I’m working on the video about the new saw. If you have any thoughts on what you’d like to see, speak now or forever hold your peace.

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I’m sure most of you know by now, but I’ve got a new video out, so be sure to check it out. But I wanted to blog about some geek stuff.

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It’s kind of surreal to see my “SawStop Saved My Thumb! What Happens Next?” video get so many views so quickly. The last I looked, it was over 113,000 views in a about 3 weeks. That’s kind of crazy, at least for one of my videos. That makes it my 5th highest viewed video, and the other videos have been out for way longer.

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It’s been exactly one month since my last post on Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course, and today I started back to work on my desktop router table.

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Starting up where I left off yesterday, I decided to glue on some pieces of pine to help keep the door from cracking again:

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I’m getting near the end of my second project in Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course. Actually, it’s Steve’s third project, but it’s the second one I’ve done.

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I’ve been kind of busy the last couple of days with other things, so I haven’t gotten a lot done. On the other hand, it feels like I got a lot done, for some reason.

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I’ve got a new article up about how I replaced the stock PCS insert plate. It’s really just a rehash of what’s in the video.

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I want to say thank you to everyone who voted in the poll. It was a tie.

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So I just spent a lot of money on video gear and assorted accessories. It’s not all here yet, but it will be soon.

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Sorry I’ve been silent for a week. First, I had to finish up my latest video. Then I wasn’t feeling well for a few days. And then I started playing with my new video gear.

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One of my favorite statements is “You don’t know what you don’t know.” It’s so true, and yet we forget it every day. Here’s an example, based on a real life event that happened to me yesterday.

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I had an interesting (and very positive) interaction with Amazon today.

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Steve Ramsey announced on Instagram a couple of days ago that he’s opening up his “Powered Up” online course for enrollment again. And of course I don’t have the review video ready. It would have been nice if Steve had given me a heads up. 😛 (Just kidding - Steve has no idea who I am, I’m sure.)

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My video review of Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course is live.

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I finally managed to get back to working on the router table. Today I added the melamine top.

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I made MAJOR progress over the last few days, even if I did have to build the drawer 3 times before I was satisfied with it.

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I just finished a highly customized version of the “Benchtop” Router Table from Steve Ramsey’s “Powered Up” online course. I put “benchtop” in quotes, because it ended up being a floor-standing router table.

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I’ve got a new article about getting started with SketchUp. You can view it here.

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I just uploaded a new video about building a sheath for the chisel plane. There’s also free plans available.

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It seems everyone and their brother are recommending this blade, so I thought I’d give it a try.

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After installing my new Forrest blade, I had to adjust the gap between the riving knife and the blade, and re-align the riving knife. Sounds easy, right? If it were, I wouldn’t be writing about it.

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I’m having problems when I use my Infinity Throat Plate on my SawStop PCS with either of my cross-cut sleds. When I raise the blade before starting a cut, my SawStop PCS’s “Contact Detected During Standby” light pattern gets triggered.

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In a previous post, I talked about an issue with my Infinity Throat Plate and my SawStop PCS. Please read that post first, if you haven’t already, so I don’t have to rehash everything.

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Let’s go sleuthing! We’re going to uncover the secrets of a SawStop brake, like how it knows if the blade touched your finger or just a nail. And we’ll discover that it’s not as simple as we thought. So if you think you know everything there is to know about how, when, and why a SawStop brake gets triggered, Wait! There’s more!

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I said in the last post that I’d post my final conclusions about the Infinity Throat Plate, so here I am. But I can’t say for sure these are my final conclusions, so instead let’s just say that this is where my mind is, right now.

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I just finished editing a new video, and uploading it to YouTube. The video has some closeups of my SawStoP PCS’s cast iron table top, which means that all the ugly scratches were brought out front and center. Don’t bother looking for them in the video, though, because I edited them out using various masking techniques. Why did I edit them out? Read on to find out.

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In a previous post, I complained about the scratches on my new SawStop PCS’s cast iron top. I guess it could be worse. Check out the latest video from Colin Knecht to see just how bad it could be.

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Sorry it’s been a while since I uploaded a blog post. I can’t say for sure why I haven’t been posting, but I want to remedy that. Here’s a start.

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If you have a Jekyll-based website, you might be interested in how I added Information and Warning panels. This is in a site based on the Basically Basic theme.

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I just passed 50,000 subscribers a few hours ago. Amazing. Thank you everyone! And my video on CutList Optimizer has over 50k views in less than a week, 99.6% likes vs. dislikes, and over 470 comments. For my videos, that’s about as good as it gets in less than a week. I expect it to continue to do well, until YouTube decides they don’t like me anymore. Read on for an explanation.

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This post is about how my ADD affects my woodworking. I’ve mentioned this subject before, and in fact some of this text is from a previous post. But I’m going to be expanding on this in the near future, so I thought I’d talk about it again. If you find this information useful, please share this post.

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A quick post to talk about what I’ve been working on, what I’m going to be working on, and perfectionism.

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I just released my latest video on my StupidStop, and I thought I’d share some of the “fun” stuff that happened along the way.

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SawStop has a new section on their website called the “Service Portal”. It’s got videos and articles for all their table saws. Make sure to check in out.

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I received the above email last night that almost looks official, but after looking at it closer, it’s obviously a phishing attack.

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One of the most common topics I see in the comments on my Dust Collection for Newbies video is about the perceived dangers of static electricity and PVC, and whether you need to ground your system or not. I’ve finally decided to put my thoughts on the subject in a blog post, so I don’t have to repeat myself every time.

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I make an effort to reply to all comments people leave on my YouTube videos. YouTube doesn’t always do a great job of notifying us creators when we receive comments, especially replies to old comments. So I wrote some custom software to help solve the problem.

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