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Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujUF5skCzI&list=PLgS675HkgLNmgy5B-eZkzN3fBGmOpAD-T&index=21

This is one of those tools where once you have it, you can’t imagine doing without it. And like most good shopmade jigs, it’s simple to build and easy to use. Nick’s assembly tables offer a flat, rigid surface that has been slotted and perforated so you can attach a clamp anywhere you need one. The table helps hold the project together and keeps the pieces and parts properly aligned while the glue cures. Not only does this simplify assembly, your project comes off the table perfectly flat, square, and true.

Plans are available at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it...

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

If you enjoy this video, check out our Workshop Companion Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit our Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

RFGuy

This assembly table is an interesting idea, particularly if you have a lot of bar clamps. For me though it is a rather large piece to have to store and lug around my small shop. I think if you already have an MFT style table in your shop it does 99% of what Nick's Assembly Table does. For those that don't have an MFT, it looks like an interesting option if you have space to store it.

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g_7-9LRNEE

Nick turns his elegant rolling pin into a quick lesson in basic lathe turning techniques. Using this awesome turning project as an example, Nick shows that any lathe design break down into just three simple shapes, and then he walks you through the tools and techniques used to create each shape. You come away with the core knowledge you need to turn almost anything!

If you'd like the shop drawings for these rolling pins (including both English and metric measurements), step by step instructions, and full-size templates for the shop aids that Nick uses in this video, visit https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it... .

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

If you enjoy this video, check out our Workshop Companion Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit our Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MpFTmb9Ytk

In 1878, the Wright brothers' father brought them a rubber band-powered helicopter. Young Wilbur and Orville played with it until they wore it out, then began making their own from wood and cork. Years later, after making their first flights, they credited this toy as having sparked their interest in aviation. Woodworking author Nick Engler, who has helped build many full-sized Wright airplanes and flight simulators for museums world-wide, shows how to build this historic model, the Wright brothers' first flying machine.

Plans for the Wright Bat are available at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/

And you can read more about this history-making toy and the Wright brothers at https://www.wright-brothers.org/Histo...

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

If you enjoy this video, check out our Workshop Companion Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit our Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3fg8GDvbrU

Nick gives a blow-by-blow description of how to make the 1878 Wright Bat. He also reveals some interesting information on who might have made the original bat, the toy that inspired the young Wright brothers and got them thinking about flight. If you’ve watched or time-lapse video and would like more detailed instructions, this is for you. Better yet, if you’d like to help a young person make this model helicopter, perhaps for a History Day project or a science fair, then this is for both of you.

And don’t forget that we offer detailed plans for the Wright Bat from our store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it...

And you can read more about this history-making toy and the Wright brothers at https://www.wright-brothers.org/Histo...

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

If you enjoy this video, check out our Workshop Companion Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit our Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DteAwffOnqI

Nick has always loved this trick. Cut a curve – any curve – in a block of wood. Put the two pieces back together, turn them 90 degrees, and cut another curve – any curve. Turn each of the four pieces 180 degrees and – presto! – this is what you get! Works every time.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

If you enjoy this video, check out the Workshop Companion Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Q_g2LjjnHuM

Nitric acid is my go-to stain for hard-to-stain woods. The results are always even and consistent, never any blotches, no surface conditioner necessary. Just mix up a thin solution (5% to 10%), apply and let it soak in for a few minutes, and then hit it with a heat gun. A beautiful brown color will develop as the acid oxidizes the wood surface. Not only is this a good chemical stain for problem woods, you can use it to restore antique patinas and simulate old wood. Be sure to read the safety concerns I posted in the Comments.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/7aWwLFiQA6U

A neighbor gave me some logs from an ancient walnut tree he had to put to rest, and I’ve been having a fine time with the remains. The wood is still green enough that the bark hasn’t begum the separate, so I’ve been making some “bark-included” turnings – this bowl is one example. It’s a short log turned sideways! I wet the log from time to time while turning it, and place it in a plastic bag between lathe sessions to keep it from drying out. Once the turning is complete, I soak the bowl in polyethylene glycol (PEG) for several days to slow the drying process, keep the wood from splitting, and keep the bark attached to the wood.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

#Woodturning #Turning #Woodworking #DIY

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/QhoQTxr4EBA

I rescued this hollow basswood log from a woodpile, sealed the ends, and let it dry in my shop for several years. Because it was hollow, it dried from both the inside and the outside evenly, shrinking slowly and uniformly. This allowed the bark to stay firmly attached -- just perfect for a bark-included log chest. I scooped the rot from the inside, added walnut ends and a small, crooked sycamore limb to serve as a handle. This is the result!

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

#Woodturning #Turning #Woodworking #DIY

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/zz4lVwmFYZw

#shorts - Wondering what to do with all those 2x4 cut-offs? Well, with a few simple band saw cuts, you can turn them into reindeer! If you'd like to see this woodworking project demonstrated a little slower, check out the extended video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho8XX.... And if you'd like the plans and a full-size pattern for these reindeer, they're available from our store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it... .

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/XoCnZpK_gys

#Shorts -

This simple jig lets you to rout a perfect oval of any size without having lay it out or draw it on the wood. Two pivots determine the major and minor axes. These slide back and forth in dovetail slots at right angles to one another as you guide the router around the cut. For best results, rout the oval in several passes, cutting just 1/8” ( 3mm) deeper with each pass. After making a pass, reverse direction and bring the router back to where you started – this cleans out the cut and keeps the power cord from becoming twisted.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/8XnCBdPTbhY

If you own a table saw, you need a tall fence now and then to cut boards on edge. Add a horizontal fence to the set-up and suddenly the usefulness increases exponentially. You can use the combination to straighten warped or bowed edges, saw long tapers, duplicate complex parts, cut odd miters, even shave a whisker off an edge or an end for a precise fit. Together, these jigs vastly simplify complex operations without sacrificing precision. You can't buy either jig; you'll have to make them --

and you can find the plans in our store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/item/tall-horizontal-fences

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/7PRkoM-eVdY

We’ve been steam-bending 1-inch wooden dowels to make wooden handlebars for a replica of a Wright “Van Cleve” bicycle. In the 1890s, just as bicycles became popular, cyclists had to put up with constant shocks when riding over unimproved roads. Some bicycle manufacturers, like the Wright brothers, used wooden handle bars to help smooth out the bumps – the wood gave slightly with each impact, just like the wooden handle on a hammer gives each time you strike a nail. The National Park Service has asked us to duplicate a bicycle the Wrights made at their shop on Williams Street in Dayton, Ohio, which is now an historical museum. These handlebars will grace a replica 1897 “Van Cleve,” a racing bicycle the Wrights made just before they began to experiment with gliders and airplanes.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

RFGuy

Yeah, I saw the handlebar video from Nick yesterday. I just wanted to comment and say how cool this restoration is and I wish him well on finishing it. I really enjoyed watching this.

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/EbeS91X3xYo

This is the nicest drill press table ever! I mean it -- a drill press is an absolute necessity in any shop, but they can be frustrating for a woodworker. The table is too small, it tilts the wrong way, and there are no fences or stops to help align the work – it’s designed for metalworking! This quick-to-make fixture changes all that. There’s plenty of real estate to support large work pieces; the surface tilts front-to-back for angled holes; and it has and easy-to-mount fence and stop. It turns a standard drill press into a true woodworking tool.

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/xYy-U2_ylAA

This is one of the least expensive and most effective sharpening jigs I've ever designed -- I use it for all my plane irons and most of my chisels. Unless the tool has been massively abused, you can usually sharpen it in under 10 minutes. The secret is using ordinary wet-dry sandpaper on a hard, flat surface. You have a broad choice of grits and you can replace a grit when it wears out for just pennies. And if you use the trick I show you with honing compound, you can get an edge sharp enough to shave with. Really! -- although that's one of those "don't try this at home" remarks...

Find the sharpening jigs used in the video in this book: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/item/sharpening

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/39Udyj9GJSQ

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

Chad

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/6DdNMrRn_jk

Paste wax is an important element in every phase of woodworking. We use it to maintain our tools, polish our finishes, and keep our projects looking beautiful long after we've completed them. Nick shares recipes for two versions of a paste wax that combine the characteristics of four waxes, one a "standard" paste wax that will serve most woodworking purposes and the other completely food safe for kitchen utensils, children's toys, and other projects where toxicity is a concern.

You can download his recipes and a chart of common waxes FREE from our store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/item/nicks-paste-wax-recipes

Pick up one of Nick's books FREE just for visiting: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/categories/books

And if you want clear, concise information on any woodworking topic, visit the Workshop Companion web site: http://workshopcompanion.com

woodshopnerdery

The knowledge and ability to convey that knowledge just blows me away. I'll probably not make my own wax anytime soon, but what a fantastic video!

rlkeeney

I have been experimenting with wax mixtures for some time now. The video and the download were much appreciated.

I had never heard of microcrystalline wax. Now I have something else to add to my tool kit.

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