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Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/oZkYLVrTYe4

If you are a novice woodworker, this is stuff you absolutely need to know before you cut another board. If you’re a master craftsman, you know it well enough to understand that a quick review never hurts. And if you’re somewhere in between, this may fill in some important gaps. What I present here is the very foundation of wood technology; the way wood works as a construction material and the basic concepts you must keep in mind to get it to work for you.

Novice or master, please understand that these are the just the basics. Wood is an incredibly complex material, more than I could explain in a zillion videos. Additionally, there are hundreds of wood species each with different botanical, physical, and mechanical properties. If you would like to explore wood’s characteristics in depth, or just look up the properties of a single species, there is an amazing book that you should have. “The Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material” is published by the United States Forest Products Laboratory as a FREE service for those of us who rely upon wood and wood products for our livelihood and well-being. You can download a PDF copy free from our store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it...

or you can get it straight from the USFPS web site at https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fp....

If you prefer a condensed version aimed at craftsmen and woodworkers – and if you’d like to support this channel – consider my book “Wood and Woodworking Materials” available here: 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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...
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Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

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

A simple technique opens up a world of possibilities for creating figured and patterned bowls. Nick demonstrates a simple jig that slices a board into rings, then glues those rings together to make turning stock for a bowl. This not only saves time and wood, it allows you to create remarkable, eye-catching lathe turnings from scraps.

The plans for the jigs and fixtures used in this video are available from
the Workshop Companion Store at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it.... This project plan also includes and in-depth explanation of the band saw and turning techniques, as well as the figuring necessary to determine the correct dimensions and angles for the rings, PLUS a virtual calculator that will do all the figuring for you!


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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/IYWQLAQQq34

A brief, wordless woodworking adventure in which author/craftsman Nick Engler takes a few scrap boards and turns them into stunning bowls. If you like what you see -- and would like to try it yourself -- watch our expanded how-to video in which Nick carefully explains this process step by step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuRw... .

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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

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

Open-grain hardwoods have pores -- tiny tunnels and channels that distribute nutrients to the living wood through capillary action. And nowhere are these pores so open than in red oak. Did you know that you can actually suck up liquids through the pores in a 6" (15 cm) long piece of red oak? Or blow bubbles through it? Author/craftsman Nick Engler has some fun with this amazing and little-known property of oak 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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/tId2gmrVgYk

Folks -- Here's a video Christmas card from Travis and me. We very much appreciate the stories, tips, kind words, and support you have shared with us of 2021 -- you've helped make it a productive, exciting, and wonderfully satisfying year for us. Here's hoping the New Year is just as good for you. And I know it's way too late for this season, but the plans and patterns for these trees are 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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/q_jT-dl0DII

A small router plane is one of the handiest hand planes you can have in your tool box. With this tool, you can reach down into dado, groove, or mortise and shave the bottom to fine tune the joinery. It’s also useful for making inlays, setting hinges, and installing other hardware. Nick shows how to make a handsome, capable router plane from a scrap of wood, a piece of plastic, and an Allen wrench!

If you would like the plans for this router plane -- including full-size patterns for the base and handle -- find them 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

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...

Congratulations to Nick and Travis for hitting the 100,000 subscribers mark! You've come a long way in such a short time. Keep up the great work.

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/ThHQFVD00w4

A saw sled carries your work past the table saw blade, boosting accuracy by eliminating the friction that plagues an ordinary miter gauge. Nick shows how to get even more precision; how you can easily adjust a cut to with a few thousands of an inch or hundredths of a millimeter. And in addition to being more accurate, sleds are also more versatile. Nick discusses the types of sleds you might build and shows the features you might pack into it -- fixed and adjustable fences, stops, guards, auxiliary surfaces, even a convenient storage cart.

Detailed plans for the saw sleds and features that Nick shows, including measurement in both inches and millimeters, are available at https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/it... .

To see all of Nick's videos and SUBSCRIBE for more, see: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk48...
Also visit the Workshop Companion General store, where we offer a wide selection of Nick's BOOKS and PROJECT PLANS in digital format: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/

To follow us on social media, try:
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/workshop_co...

Our Music is Licensed through Epidemic Sounds - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra...

And thank you so much for your time and interest!

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/vtMoiXS2hWA

For a table saw to make precise cuts, it must be precisely aligned and adjusted. The core reference for this critical calibration is the axis of rotation, an imaginary line around which the saw blade spins. Nick shows how to define this axis, and then uses it to align and adjust the saw table, fence, miter gauge, and other important parts of the saw.

To see all of Nick's videos and SUBSCRIBE for more, see: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk48...
Also visit the Workshop Companion General store, where we offer a wide selection of Nick's BOOKS and PROJECT PLANS in digital format: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/

To follow us on social media, try:
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/workshopcomp...
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/workshop_co...

Our Music is Licensed through Epidemic Sounds - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra...

And thank you so much for your time and interest!

Nick Engler's Workshop Companion

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/0z_xHK4-3cI

Experienced craftsmen and women all have a "go-to" finish -- a versatile wood finish that takes minimal time and effort to apply. They use this for most projects, simplifying their finishing needs. These needs vary, so Nick shows how to find your personal go-to finish from the hundreds of choices that are available to you. He starts with some basic "coating chemistry" to reduce confusion and help you make an informed choice. Then he walks you though a simple experiment designed to compare the characteristics of popular commercial finishes.

Also visit the Workshop Companion General store, where we offer a wide selection of Nick's BOOKS and PROJECT PLANS in digital format: https://workshopcompanion.selz.com/

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

To see all of Nick's videos and SUBSCRIBE for more, see: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk480B ... hMfkBjhDpQ

Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/workshopcompanion

And thank you so much for your time and interest!