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Product Reviews Homeowners Complete Guide to the Chainsaw
August 27, 2009 Book Title: Homeowners Complete Guide to the Chainsaw Being a homeowner myself with a wood stove, I have been cutting and splitting wood for a number of years. I have also done some Christmas Tree shearing and cut pulp wood. I am always interested in what is new and like to learn new skills. The cover of the book says - A chainsaw pro shows you how to safely and confidently handle everything from trimming branches and felling trees to splitting and stacking wood. Well this pretty much sums up the book. 195 pages of easy to read text that continually sends home the message - Safety First - along with plenty of color photography. There are probably more squares inches of photos than text. So as everybody know - A picture is worth a thousand words. This book speaks volumes. Brian and Jen Ruth explain all the parts of a chainsaw; how and why it works, preventative maintenance, proper use of one of the most deadly power tools you can hold in your hands and he walks the reader through a list of projects from minor tasks like bucking firewood to major jobs that push the limits of when to call in a pro. Bucking, splitting, trimming, felling, stumping and even milling. Pros: Plenty of photos. Easy to read. Continually stressing the importance of safety. Step-by-step instruction. Cons: None. Summary: We recommend this book for the newbie, weekend chainsawyer and even professionals. The book's price is definitely cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. Woodworkers Workshop rating: 5 out of 5 KRYLON Semi-Transparent Wood Stain spray can application
May 22, 2009 The Mission: To review the new product line of Krylon spray can applications of its semi-transparent exterior wood stains. I was contacted by a marketing company working on behalf of Krylon to review the product. They sent me samples of the following items: Semi-Transparent Cedar, Redwood, Rustic Brown and Honey Gold. The Process: To perform spray tests on sample pieces of wood to determine effectiveness of the spray can tip and the quality of the paint with respect to spray patterns, drying time, dry color. The Results: I tested the four colors on a number of different wood samples. A scrap piece of birch veneer plywood, a scrap piece of spruce 2x4, a scrap piece of pressure treated lumber that's been outdoor for 3 years and a scrap piece of pressure treated lumber that was new this year from the lumber yard. For display purposes in this review I will show the samples sprayed on plywood. The Honey Gold (below left) and Redwood (below right) Stains: The spraying tips on all of these cans produce a very good spray pattern with the exception of the Redwood. As you can see, plenty of spots were spitting out. I don't know if the spray tip was faulty or if it was because of the Redwood paint formula. The spray patterns you see here are from a one coat application, overlapping about 3-4 inches with each pass. The appearance of the Honey Gold reminded me of peanut butter.
The Cedar (below left) and Rustic Brown (below right) Stains: The coverage of the Cedar and of the Rustic Brown were much more even. I used the same spraying method, with the same number of passes.
Pros: With exception of the Redwood spray tip, the spray tips used in this product are the best I've seen to date for any spray can application. Cons: While the drying time does take effect within 15 to 20 minutes as stated on the can, it must be noted that the stain does not dry on knots. As you can see in the photos, there are several knots. Even after 6 days, I could pass my finger over the knots and it would be tacky, with stain transferring to my finger. Recommendation of this product: The product has potential however, due to the fact that this product does not dry on knots, I cannot recommend buying this product for the purpose of applying this stain on wood that will be in contact with people or animals, whether it be walking on, climbing on or sitting on. It would be a good product for projects and structures that are not meant to be touched. Woodworkers Workshop rating: 2 out of 5 Zodiac Puzzles for Scroll Saw Woodworking 30 Projects
May 7, 2009 Book Title: Zodiac Puzzles for Scroll Saw Woodworking - 30 Projects from the Eastern and Western Calendars At first glance, thumbing through the pages, this book is about making scroll saw projects involving all the signs and symbols found in both the Eastern and Western zodiacs as well as the constellations. If you are familiar with horoscopes, you're thinking along the same ideas. This is a book that will challenge your scroll saw turning skills. While the general design of each pattern features a zodiac symbol, the theme of the projects are to create puzzles. And if there's one thing about puzzle pieces, there are plenty of curves and 180 degree turns. If you manage to complete all of the projects, you'll never again fear a scroll sawing pattern that features a lot of turns on the table. The book is printed on a gloss paper with full color photos. All patterns are detailed with progress photos, step-by-step instructions and plenty of margin notes about ho-to use tools, along with tips and techniques to get the job done. One of the great things I liked in this book was the conceptual photos that were included with each project. We get to see where the artist got their ideas, showing us that inspiration can be drawn from many sources. The skill range required to complete these projects ranges from the beginner to the advanced. As you practice your turning at the saw, you will build your confidence to started the more difficult patterns. The Appendix of the book offers tips on fine tuning your saw and your skills. There are two indexes, the traditional index that lists the page locations of projects and definitions and a pattern index lists the zodiac names for easy reference. My only criticism I make is the style of book, with reference to a glued spine. I had to flatten the pages by pressing down on the spine to prevent the book from closing up. Past experience has shown me that this destroys the book. I would much rather see a pattern book that is spiral bound, whereby the pages can be easily opened not only for reading but for copying as well. Woodworkers Workshop rating: 4 out of 5 |
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