Charmed to be back
After a decade’s absence, Woodcraft has returned to Baltimore. The Baltimore/Timonium store is now open at 15 W. Aylesbury Road, Suite 700, Timonium, MD.
Measure of a memory
Robert Settich’s “My fine folding friend” (Aug/Sep 2023) made me reflect on my own folding rule experience. When my family renovated a house in the early 1960s, folding rules were the tradesmen’s go-to. I remember being awed by the speed they used them. I was given a used rule and learned to use it that summer, and many others, as I worked for my dad until I went into the Army. Upon my release in 1970 I went back to work for dad, still using the folding rule, but tape measures were much more common and I switched over pretty quickly. I still have my old folding rule, and thanks to your magazine, my old friend has a new purpose.
Denny Mandeville
Sedona, AZ
Less-Dusty Springfield
I appreciated the note on using a “brushed wall plate” to control dust and cords in the High Tech Router Table (Aug/Sep 2023) and I ordered a couple for future projects. I’ve been using shopmade dust-control cord grommets for years. Drill the cabinet for cords, then create a doughnut-shaped retaining plate. A slit sheet of nylon-reinforced neoprene rubber sandwiched between them keeps dust in, resists sagging, and prevents cord abrasion.
Dwayne Smyth
West Springfield, MA
Good news about bad bugs
A new study conducted by Penn State University indicates that spotted lanternflies are unlikely to pose long-term negative effects on forests or ornamental trees. The bug, native to China, appeared in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to other parts of the U.S. Initial research showed that lanternflies, which feed on several tree species, may reduce the growth of maple saplings, but further studies show the trees recover and grow in subsequent years.
Inside scoop
I noticed the cake spatula in the photo on p. 26 (Inside-Out Cake Stand, Oct/Nov 2023) and it looks a lot like the spindle of the cake stand. Can the inside-out technique be used for other things?
George Samuels
Ames, IA
Associate Editor Derek Richmond replies:
Good eye! I turned an inside-out handle for the WoodRiver Stainless Steel Pie Server Turning Kit (#162896). You can use the inside-out technique described in the article to turn handles, display vases, spindles, and other items. Just keep in mind that the more you take off when turning the inside, the wider your outside turning has to be. For narrow spindles or handles, take off just a bit. And try playing around with the interior shape to affect the shape of the cutout windows.
Making connections
More and more toolmakers are adding app-connected functionality. Companies including Festool, Black & Decker, DeWalt, and Milwaukee offer apps that display battery charge. Some also track portable tools and even batteries around a jobsite for added security. And the list of app-enabled tasks is likely to grow: Festool’s app can remotely turn on its portable dust extractor, while Bosch’s offering lights an indicator on a drill when the user is holding the drill at the precise angle set in the app.
Bunny Built
by Michael Slack
LaRue is the handiest—and hungriest—bunny around. But when his friends need new furnishings, Larue gives up his hard-earned enormous carrot. He throws it on the mill and creates lumber. Then he heads to his well-stocked workshop and builds his friends a house, a table, and a boat all from carrot. He enjoys the last piece of his enormous carrot while sitting back and basking in a job well done. This book has been a favorite for both my kids’ bedtimes, introducing them to both “wood”-working and selflessness.
$11.99 – Henry Holt & Co. 2018
The Cabin That Moose Built
by Chérie B. Stihler
To build a cabin before winter, Moose and his friends must use all the tools at their disposal: chisels, hammers, a drawknife, plus a healthy dose of teamwork and good attitude. Illustrations by Jeremiah Trammell show moose, fox, bear, and others accurately and appropriately using the tools to take the cabin project from layout, through electrical and plumbing, to painting and wallpapering.
$10.99 – Little Bigfoot 2006
