by Mark Stephens | August 30th, 2010
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Pardon me, but what does 4/4 mean?
Chances are the first time you stepped foot into a hardwood lumber dealer you saw all these crazy fractions flying at you: 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4 and so on.
They’re industry terms that not everyone knows right off the bat, but they refer to the thickness of the lumber you’re looking at.
Let’s start with the most common: 4/4. If we were talking you’d hear me say it as “four quarters,” which is short for four quarters of an inch. If you’re pretty snappy with numbers, you’ve already put together that 4/4 is equal to one inch. 
Tags: hardwood, what is 4/4?
Posted in Woodworking Projects | No Comments »
by Mark Stephens | August 18th, 2010
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Exotic wood cabinet, finely crafted. Did the craftsman skimp on wood?
While most of the fun of woodworking is in building custom and unique projects, the downside is wood waste. Nobody likes it, but it’s just a fact of woodworking.
When you sit down to figure out the amount of wood your project requires, there are a number of things you should account for:
1. You’re going to make mistakes
I know, ouch. Just stick with me, though.
Tags: custom woodworking, hardwood
Posted in Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
by Mark Stephens | August 4th, 2010
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Everyone should experience the joy of real hand made woodwork - whether you're a woodworker or not, you'll enjoy seeing what hands can do at Crafts & Coffee Craft Fair
Think of it like a weekend car show, but hand crafted woodwork in place of the hot rods.
That’s what we’re hosting every Saturday starting September 11, 2010, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at all three Woodworkers Source stores.
Arizona’s finest woodworkers will be displaying their awesome projects and talking about their craftsmanship — from items as small as turned wood pens and bowls, to projects as large as tables and chairs.
Some items will be for sale (as that’s up to each individual woodworker who is displaying work), but everything is worth looking at for general inspiration and enrichment. Talk to woodworkers, see impressive projects, and enjoy yourself at this craft fair.
It’ll be free, fun, relaxing, and interesting with the bonus of free coffee. Come check it out.
Come to The Crafts & Coffee Craft Fair
Woodworkers: You want to be a part of the fair and display your projects? Click here for the Guidelines.
Posted in Featured Specials, Woodworking Projects | 2 Comments »
by Mark Stephens | July 20th, 2010
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You don't have to get too close to Indian rosewood to recognize its impeccable character
I doubt you need any form of begging or persuading from me to understand that one moment spent looking at a perfect board of rosewood will put your personal woodworking goals into a tailspin.
Oh right, you thought you were going to build that cabinet out of hard maple? Hickory?
Just one moment with a stack of rosewood lumber and the voices inside your head go something like this: Well, maybe I can make my own pulls out of rosewood. Wait, no! Raised panel doors. Yes rosewood panels. I’d better just buy this board right here at least. And that one there. Oh, and that one too. We’ll just eat peanut butter sandwiches for a week.
I understand that finding Fine Woodworking’s “Tools & Shops” issue in the mailbox is both a blessing and a curse, but a stack of rosewood before your eyes is another incontestable siren.
Posted in Featured Specials, Wood Conversations | 4 Comments »
by Mark Stephens | May 25th, 2010
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Meet the ever-stunning Chechen lumber from Latin America
It starts with a sweaty trip to a sawmill in a far-off jungle….When the guys started pushing an 8-foot-long log through the 8-inch-wide bandsaw blade (and said bandsaw was taller than a pro basketball player and wider than a pro football player), the log looked like something you wouldn’t dare bring home to mom.
It actually looked like a pain to deal with. The log had an irregular lumpy shape. The outside of the log had been de-barked and had the semblance of a skinned cat that you probably remember cutting open in your sophomore science class; just kind of pale and streaked and awkward.
This is what cutting into an exotic wood log is like, though, and there is big thrill in watching the saw make all these slices from an ugly log into stunning lumber.
Tags: exotic wood, saw mills
Posted in Wood Conversations | 3 Comments »
