Marco’s specialty in miniature things just happens to be miniature woodworking hand tools. Built to 1/4 scale, his tools are not only miniature, but functional – although, he says, he sells them as collectibles: “I don’t know if those tiny screws would stand up to daily use. “

In his own possession, however, is a jack plane measuring a little over 3-1/2 inches long that Marco says he uses “all the time. I bring it to shows and let people take shavings with it.”

His miniature tools are, in fact, created just like their larger counterparts, with heat-treated tool steel. “They’re made the same way as the real ones,” Marco said. For the jack plane, which has 16 parts, “It took me five months to make 20. I machined every little screw, everything. I had to make 20 jigs and fixtures to make it. I have to make all the pieces to scale to be able to pull it off; that’s what makes it super fun for me.”

In fact, in order to make his collectible miniature tools, Marco often has to make miniature tools that he will use in the building process. For example, he might need to make a small chisel out of tool steel. “I could have four or five hours into a chisel before I ever start cutting wood with it,” he said. “There’s a balance of making tools to keep and use, and ones to sell.”

The people who are buying Marco’s tools, he says, divide roughly into two groups: people who have collected miniature tools in the past, and new collectors – often those interested in antique and/or rare tools – who appreciate the time and effort that goes into them. “Since I makes less than 20 of everything, mine would be considered rare tools,” Marco said. He’s not selling to the miniatures world  — people who create scenes in dollhouses, for example. The common scale there is 1/12, not Marco’s 1/4.

But he has encountered “mostly older guys” who have made miniature tools in the past, and has acquired tips from them, most notably spending a week in the shop of Paul Hamler, who has been making miniature tools since the 1980s. “I’m kind of keeping the craft alive,” Marco said.

Since he was a kid, Marco said, he has been interested in how things are made. Also, “I like working with jewelry size things. Making miniatures are a combination of everything I love: small things, tools, woodworking.”

His first introduction to woodworking came as a boy of seven or eight, when he built model airplanes out of balsa wood kits from the hobby store. At age 10, he said, his parents were nice enough to get him a Delta benchtop lathe for Christmas. (He still uses it.) And, during his college “Art Furniture” program, which mostly had a sculptural focus, there was what Marco described as a “crash course” on woodworking.

“I quickly became more fascinated with the tools,” he said. “I like the tools just as much as working with them. With tools, what they’re capable of depends on who’s holding them and using them.”

In his own case, “There’s a balance of making tools to keep and use and ones to sell. In a perfect world, I would only make one or two of each thing and move on, but I have to make a profit. The list of stuff I want to make is about 80 years long.”

Although past miniature tool makers have often focused on replicating rare items, Marco’s interest is in the more commonplace tools. “I just like traditional design,” he said. “I do keep up with a lot of the new stuff, and in the future, I want to make more miniatures of tools that are common these days,” he said, like the jack plane, which he describes as “super popular in the last 10 years for the hand tools user.”

When he takes on a project, Marco said he finds encouragement by posting his process on Instagram and receiving supportive comments. “Otherwise, I don’t talk to people,” as he’s ensconced in his shop working, Marco said.

One of his biggest safety concerns, Marco said, is that “The tools I use are super small. I have to watch for eyestrain from looking at something too small for too long. I do use a stereomicroscope for a lot of my work, so I can see it without too much eyestrain.”

“I think the microscope is what got  me to the next level,” Marco said, noting that he finds it useful during the finishing process of his tools. Marco’s preferred finish is “shellac, diluted down super-thin, many coats, like a French polish.” He also waxes everything, metal and wood alike, with Renaissance Wax.

And, in fact, a large portion of Marco’s miniature woodworking tools are, indeed made out of metal, and require his metalworking skills more than woodworking. “I guess I’m more fascinated with the idea of woodworking than the act of it,” he said.

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– Bill Wells
Olympia, Washington

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– Bob Mohalski
Hebron, Kentucky

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This trio is powered by Hitachi’s new upgraded Compact 3.0Ah Lithium Ion battery; it has the same capacity as a conventional 3.0Ah lithium-ion battery, but it measures 3/4 in. shorter and weighs 0.6 lbs. less (compared to Hitachi battery model BSL1830). The batteries are also equipped with Hitachi’s Multiplex Protection Circuit to prevent overload, over-charge and over-discharge that further extends the lifetime of the battery. These new compact batteries are fully compatible with all Hitachi 18-volt lithium-ion slide type tools for more flexibility across Hitachi’s cordless line.

In addition to smaller, lighter batteries, these nailers feature Hitachi brushless motors that provide longer run time, less maintenance and increased durability. The driving system they employ is similar to Hitachi’s pneumatic line that uses compressed air to drive each nail. The result is a number of key benefits: zero ramp-up time between shots, increased shooting speed, recoil that feels like a pneumatic nailer, better flush driving — even at an angle — and fewer internal parts to maintain.

Other features include an on-tool battery charge indicator and tool-less depth-of-drive dial that can be adjusted to adapt to woods of varying density. A selective actuation switch provides either sequential mode or bump fire modes, and a tool-less nose latch makes jammed nails easier to clear. There’s also a narrow-profile, no-mar nose cap to protect work surfaces and a built-in LED light to brighten up the nailing area.

For added safety, Hitachi has added a power button located on the nailers’ control panel. When activated, the nailer is ready for use. It automatically shuts off power after 30 minutes of inactivity. A side-lock switch prevents accidental firing.

Soft-grip handles and pivoting belt hooks also come standard, as does a battery charger and soft carry case.

The NT1850DE Cordless 18-Gauge Brad Nailer ($339.97) accepts 5/8- to 2-in. fasteners to tackle trim work, furniture assembly and other finish applications. It is capable of driving up to 1,650 nails per charge and weighs 7.3 lbs. A visual nail reload indicator located on the magazine turns yellow when nail quantities are getting low to help the end user avoid dry-firing the tool.

Hitachi’s NT1865DM Cordless 16-Gauge Finish Nailer ($369.97) accepts 1- to 2-1/2-in. fasteners to install molding, chair rail, cabinetry and other finish applications. It is capable of driving up to 1,500 nails per charge and weighs 7.3 lbs. Dry-fire lock-out prevents nailer activation when the nail count is low.

The NT1865DMA Cordless 15-Gauge Angled Finish Nailer (also $369.97) accepts 1-1/4- to 2-1/2-in. angled fasteners to tackle almost any finish project. The 34° angled magazine allows the user to reach into corners or tight spaces with ease, and the 7.5-lb. gun will shoot up to 1,100 nails per charge. An open magazine allows fasteners to be easily viewed so that blank drives are avoided. This gun has dry-fire lock-out as well.

Hitachi Cordless Brushless Finish Nailers are covered by a lifetime warranty on the nailer, a 2-year battery warranty and a 1-year warranty on the charger. To watch a video that overviews these new nailers, click here.

The post Hitachi Unveils Three Cordless Brushless Finish Nailers appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Chris Marshall: It’s an interesting question, Chuck, but one I really can’t answer with certainty. A lumber supplier I used to buy from who also was in the veneer business once told me that the best logs on the market often are sold to China. Those become premium veneer that’s then sold, to some extent, back to the U.S. market. How’s that for one of the ironies of our times? So, while I don’t imagine that much inexpensive Asian furniture is made of U.S. lumber, it probably isn’t out of the question. Maybe what you are seeing actually IS oak!

I will venture a guess that bargain furniture started out as some of the least expensive woods that could be purchased for the purpose. Besides volume sales, how else would the manufacturers make money if not by using the most economical materials possible, right? And those woods probably vary among many species and origins, depending on commodity and demand.

Perhaps other readers who are more “in the know” about mass-marketed Asian furniture can share some wood species options that often make the “short list” for these products. I’d find that interesting, right along with you.

The post What Woods Make Up Inexpensive Asian Furniture? appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The seat was built using bent form lamination. There was cursing and swearing in the development of the jig, and figuring out the bending process, but it finally worked.

– Scott White

See the Gallery Below:

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Some noted that they, too, have “a lot of stuff” in their shops. – Editor

“Wait until you get into the nuts and bolts (literally) of your shop. It’s amazing how this crud piles up.” –  Rich Fazio

“One day my wife strolled into my workshop, walked around slowly, looking at the myriad benches and shelves full of tools accumulated over the years, and wryly asked, ‘Do you think you have enough tools?’ My reply: ‘Why, is someone having a sale I should know about?’ She doesn’t ask that question anymore.” – Charles McCullough

“I feel your pain. I recently moved from Oregon to Arizona and I couldn’t believe how much stuff I had in my garage (shop). I recently read a funny but somewhat relatable quote, ‘My wife said to get rid of everything I hadn’t touched in a year. It took nearly six hours, but I touched everything in my shop…whew, that was close!’ Good luck with the move!” – David Friederick

And some had advice for moving. – Editor

“Good luck with your move! Just did that myself, and my back/knees took a beating. (Move completed at the beginning of last June; back/knee recovery still in progress.] If you’re a DIY mover, consider buying something like the Milwaukee 1,000 lb. Capacity 4-in-1 Hand Truck. I spent about $150 for it, and I couldn’t have gotten my band saw and table saw center up the U-Haul ramp without it. Really good for other stuff, too.” – Mike Weise

“I have been told that three moves are about the same as a fire. The first 11 years that Connie and I were married, we moved seven times. Of those moves, five moves involved distances more than just across town. Three were literally cross-country. I am reminded of a bumper sticker, ‘Yes, that is my truck. No, I will not help you move.’ I would suggest PODS for moving the shop. You can convince your friends to help with, ‘We’re only moving the lathe from the shop into the PODS container.’

“You’ll probably need a bunch of 2×4 to build a pseudo supporting gantry for the cast-iron stuff. You don’t want the shocks of transport to damage the cast-iron. And it will probably be better for the shop cast-iron to rest on 2×4 cutoffs for a softer ride. Also, a 2×4 can make one heck of a good lever.

“I bought a better hand truck (dolly) for my son when he moved about 10 years ago. It has turned out to be the most used non tool between the two of us, friends and neighbors. It’s probably $150 now, but well worth the money! Good luck with the move and new shop.” –  Rich Flynn

This reader has a forthcoming move, plus concerns about storing his tools. – Editor

“I am approaching 84 and, like you, have a lot of stuff, and I am glad. Just let me mention that my balance has gone south and walking is difficult as my back is in bad shape from overuse and arthritis.  I am feeling great and enjoying my shop and ‘stuff’ and hope to have a few more good years. I just want to remind you of one thing: You move heavy stuff with your head, not your back.” – Farrell Eaves

Farrell, you might find the tip handy that you’ll find at this link. – Editor

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