Blog Posts

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Welcome

  • ~1 min read

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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The Saga of My Brad Point Drill Bit Set

  • 5 min read

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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YouTube Thumbs Down

  • ~1 min read

I’ll never understand why some people give a YouTube video a “thumbs downwithout leaving a comment explaining why.

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Cross Cut Sleds: Why I only use one runner

  • 3 min read

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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Planning, & SketchUp Tips - Powered Up! Shop Cabinet: Day 3.1

  • 3 min read

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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Questioning Integrity - Powered Up! Shop Cabinet: Day 6.2

  • 1 min read

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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Why Change? - Powered Up! Shop Cabinet: Day 10.1

  • 1 min read

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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Review or Rant, You Decide - Powered Up! Shop Cabinet: Day 12.2

  • 3 min read

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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It’s Alive!!! - Powered Up! Shop Cabinet: Day 15

  • 2 min read

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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Box Joint set kerf width issue

  • 1 min read

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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Layout Laid Out - Router Table: Day 5.2

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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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Inside the mind of a YouTuber

  • 4 min read

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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My love affair with Baltic Birch plywood

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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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No scheduled posts until Monday

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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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Of Mice and Men - Router Table: Day 16

  • 2 min read

“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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Wasted Day - Router Table: Day 17

  • ~1 min read

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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No scheduled blog posts until Monday

  • ~1 min read

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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My SawStop Saved My Thumb (pt. 1)

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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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Woodworking and ADD

  • 4 min read

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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A little more progress, a little more pain - Router Table: Day 20

  • 2 min read

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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Dust Collection using 4 Dust Deputies

  • 3 min read

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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Bought the SawStop PCS

  • ~1 min read

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’ve never really felt old, until today

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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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Saying Goodbye to a Dear Friend

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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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How would you respond to this?

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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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Setting Up a SawStop PCS T-Glide Fence

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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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Wax On, Wax Off

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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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Hitting a wall

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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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The Masters (with pictures!)

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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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How you can help my YouTube channel

  • 3 min read

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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Door & Lever - Router Table: Day 25

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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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New Video Gear

  • 2 min read

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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You don’t know what you don’t know.

  • 4 min read

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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Thanks for the heads-up, Steve

  • 1 min read

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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Decoding SawStop’s Finger Detection System

  • 12 min read



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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Infinity Throat Plate Decision Status

  • 2 min read



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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Annoying Scratches On My SawStop PCS Cast Iron Top

  • 4 min read



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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What am I working on?

  • 1 min read

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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Woodworking and ADD (redux)

  • 3 min read



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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Dust Collection and PVC Static Fire Danger?

  • ~1 min read



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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How I Manage To Reply To All My YouTube Comments

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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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