There is something very special about sharing your craft with friends and family that cherish you as well as your work. Several men told me that they made a project because their wife wanted it. Many people collaborate with respective spouses to create projects too.

Dale Smith, winner of the Miscellaneous/ Turning Division, works with his wife, Sharon, to make wooden model replicas of historic cars. Dale’s winning project is an accurate 1:5 scale model of a 1925 Miller Indy Car that was the 2^nd place winner in the Indy 500.) Sharon made the miniature flag and upholstered the car. They really enjoy working together. Dale said, “The fun is in building it, and talking about the project with my wife.” The cars also represent a tribute to Dale’s father who started as a “grease monkey” at Buick motors, and he worked his way up to being an owner of a Buick dealership over the course of 60 years.

The winner of the Furniture Division, Jim Daugherty, made a lovely spinning wheel. This project will serve his family in a different way. He is hoping to sell “Thread to the Past” to someone that will get good use out of it. The reason Jim is selling this project is for his granddaughter’s college fund. He said that all the other projects he has made are gifts for his family. This is Jim’s third spinning wheel, “Thread to the Past”. It is beautifully finished with Tung Oil, and it’s fully functional.

Scott Jones won second place in the Furniture Division with the concealed top nightstand that he made for his son. The top of the stand is secret compartment accessible by sliding the top. Scott makes all the projects he can for his family, including: doll houses, doll furniture, bed frames, nightstands, etc.

The most rewarding projects are the ones that not only incorporate great design, but are also an embodiment of care for the one receiving the project. I’ve found that the projects I make are much more enjoyable when it becomes personal. Sharing your craft means sharing some of yourself.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

Best in Show: Chessboard by Mark Hensley

Box Division:

1st Place: Chessboard by Mark Hensley

2nd Place: Leopardwood Box by Matthew Heimann

3rd Place: Harley Box by Tom Meeker

Miscellaneous/Turning Division:

1st Place: Smith Special #2 by Dale Smith

2nd Place: Stagecoach by Jeffrey D Shaw

3rd Place: Pin Oak Bowl by Tom Meeker

Furniture Division:

1st Place: Thread to the Past by Jim Daugherty

2nd Place: Concealed Top Nightstand by Scott Jones

3rd Place: Autumn by Ralph Buschbacher

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-John Crouse
Wolcott, New York

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-Steve Graham
Glen Allen, Virginia

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Tim Inman: This is a question that could make a whole semester’s worth of discussion. The short answer for here is: Flat cut or plain sliced veneer is a lot more work and a lot more involved from tree to cabinet, so it costs a lot more. First is the way the log is cut. For rotary-cut veneer, envision a roll of paper towels being unwound from the holder. To cut the veneer, the log section (flitch) is mounted in something akin to a giant lathe. The knife is advanced into the spinning log a few thousandths of an inch per revolution (the thickness of the veneer required) and off comes the veneer in a huge continuous sheet. Just like a roll of paper towels being unwound, the log unwraps into yards and yards of veneer. Quick and cheap, but ugly.

As for the plain cut, the log is mounted onto a giant slicer and passed over a huge knife. Like a slicing machine at the local butcher shop cutting roast beef or cheese, each pass of the log cuts one slice of veneer. Each of those slices is caught and individually stacked in exactly the order it is cut from the flitch. Then it is all dried and graded to sell. Each slice keeps its place relative to its neighbor throughout the entire process. This is slow, painstaking and, hence, expensive. But it is much prettier!

And then there are all kinds of other patterns and ways to cut the log, each giving its own benefits and detractions. Rotary cut equals yards of paper towels. Plain cut equals fine stationery sheets stacked neatly in a stack.

Chris Marshall: Rotary-cut face veneer looks nothing like flatsawn lumber, as Tim points out. And I agree: the swirly grain pattern is pretty surreal. But, for some applications, like the center panels of the cabinet doors shown above, I think the rotary grain pattern works OK. (These are my shop cabinet doors, by the way. Their grain pattern on a shop fixture like this really doesn’t bother me.) The plywood I sourced for these cabinets was good quality and from a reputable source. So, rotary-cut veneer isn’t relegated only to “cheap” plywood. However, for fine furniture, I sure wouldn’t choose rotary-cut veneer if the plywood is going to be showcased. I’d go with a flatsawn veneer, like the mahogany plywood in the image below, even at greater cost per sheet. It just looks a lot more like edge-glued boards, doesn’t it? Sometimes, you almost can’t tell the difference in the finished piece.

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“We wanted to add something to our line that could be used with our drum and brush sanders,” said Bill Schroeder, SuperMax Tools president. “We also wanted our dust management line to have a more competitive price than what is currently in the marketplace. I believe customers will like what we have to offer in this area.”

A principle difference between these dust collectors is their motor size. One unit features a 1hp totally enclosed, fan-cooled (TEFC) induction motor. The other dust collector has a 1-1/2hp TEFC motor instead. Both models have a fabric top bag that captures 99 percent of particulate matter down to 5 microns and offers 90 percent efficiency down to one micron.

Three plastic lower waste bags (14- or 16-in.-dia., depending on the unit) come with each machine. Stands on both dust collectors are made of tubular steel, and casters allow for easy positioning or rolling them out of the way when necessary. The motor units are reversible, as well, so airflow can be directed up or down, depending on your dust collection system needs.

The larger dust collector has an 11-1/2-in. curved steel impeller that helps the motor develop 1,200 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of suction. It’s prewired for 115 volts (15 amp). Three ports on this machine — one 5-in. and two 4-in. — accommodate multiple shop machines and dust hose sizes. The collector has a 19 x 35-in. footprint, with an overall height of 83 in., and it weighs 93 lbs.

The smaller collector’s 10-1/2-in. impeller enables the 115-volt (8 amp) TEFC motor to develop 680 CFM of suction. It has one port for connecting to a 4-in. dust hose. The unit has a 15 x 30-in. base and stands 73 in. tall. It weighs 79 lbs.

Both dust collectors are covered by a 3-year warranty. The 1-1/2hp collector sells for $449, and the 1hp version is priced at $355. You can order them directly from SuperMax or its dealer network.

Learn more about both dust collectors by clicking here.

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Handcrafted by Dave and Kathy Dye
“Retired and recommending it”

See the Gallery Below:

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