Honest Abe Didnt Cut Down This Cherry Tree

This project started when I was gathering hickory about a month ago at a relatives house.  While pillaging the fallen trees on his property that had fallen victim to heavy rain, he mentioned a cherry tree that had also fallen about two months prior.  My knees went weak. I started to drool a little at the thought of a cherry tree that was ripe for the taking.

Once I located the tree, my knees lost that weak feeling and the lust for a truck load of cherry vanished like a clay pigeon getting shot from station 8.  The tree was severely rotted and under heavy insect attack.  I was able to pull a few usable pieces from the tree.  The following details the rough turning of a cherry bowl.

It will never cease to amaze me what can be created from a rough and seemingly lifeless piece of wood.  Im glad I took lots of progress pictures of this piece so that you can see the amazing transformation from nearly scrap to a beautiful piece of art.

My spur drive hasnt arrived yet, so Im still stuck to using the worm screw in the scroll chuck to start off this piece.  I used two tools for this piece.  The main tool used is my 5/8 bowl gouge by P&N, I also used my hollowing tool for the inside of the piece.

I had initially thought to make a lid and base for this turning.  After getting the piece round and seeing the grain structure, it "told" me "no lid" in a faint voice.



I honed in the shape by bringing in the opening size until I was happy with the bark contrast on the rim at the top. Generally, when a piece has the bark on it, the rough surface of the bark is left.  This is called a natural edge turning.  I tried something unconventional and shaped the bark layer.  As you can see, this gives an interesting contrast to the rim of the bowl.



With the outside shape finalized, I moved on to hollowing out the inside.  I used the scorpion hollowing tool made by Don Pencil.  This is a great tool for hollowing open forms and closed forms alike.



Here are a slew of photos of the piece fresh off the lathe.  I used a new-to-me method to dry the bowl.  I soaked it in a bath of Denatured Alcohol for two days, after which I wrapped the outside in heavy paper.  

Maybe this will be the first piece for sale...That is if my wife doesnt hide it from me when its finished.

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Teds WoodWorking Review An Honest Customer Opinion

I was at first very skeptical of Teds Woodworking but then I changed my mind.
Heres why.

My name is Ryan Riley and I am a woodwork hobbyist, just like you, and I spend some time on the internet every week reading up on my favorite hobby.
Over the past few months I have been constantly bombarded with ads which promote downloadable woodworking plans.  I was very attracted to the plans on offer as I find the hardest and most time consuming part of  my woodworking is the actual design stage of my projects.  I much prefer the "hands-on" stuff.  So at first, I was very excited by, but at the same time very skeptical about what these ads were offering. But in the end curiosity got the better of me and I decided that I would purchase these plans so that I could delve in and see what all the fuss was about.  One of the sets of wood project plans was from  a woodworker named Ted McGrath. And on his website he promised me 16,000 woodworking project plans and some bonuses.  Now after a bit of online searching I had heard quite a lot of bad things about Teds woodworking and was a bit apprehensive about buying.  The offer seemed a bit too good to be true but the way I was going to find out was, of course, to purchase them.  Which I did. I havent looked back since.

The video below will show you what you will get when you purchase Teds woodworking plans.  I go through each aspect of the product and give you my honest opinion.   I am very thorough with my analysis so if you do not have 45 minutes to spare then please enjoy my written review which is beneath the video.



I went and bought the deluxe version of Teds woodworking plans ($67) and although the product did have some downfalls I was largely pleased with the quality of the product and also of the bonuses that were delivered.  
Below is my personal review.  I hope this review will help you come to a decision as to whether buying these woodwork plans is right for you and your woodworking hobby.

Introduction

If you have looked at the Ted’s woodworking website and are considering purchasing Ted’s woodworking plans then please read this review before you purchase.  I have purchased the deluxe plans package and I will provide you with what I think is an accurate description and personal opinion of the product offered by Ted McGrath.  I also have created a video, just for visitors of this blog, where I show you exactly what lies in wait for you after you make the plunge and purchase Ted’s Wood Working.

First of all, I would like to say I was pleased overall with the quality of the plans provided by Ted McGrath.  All the plans were well detailed although some were more detailed than others.  But at least each plan was complete.
Most of the bonuses were good but some of the bonuses I felt weren’t quite up to scratch.  I will go through them one by one towards the end of this blog post.
When you fill in your billing details located here you will be then issued a membership number and a password login which brings you into a section of Teds website where you can access all the plans.  Ted then offers you to upgrade to the "Deluxe Edition" (for an extra $37).  The "Deluxe Edition" is basically some extra plans and software.  


Ted also offers you the opportunity to purchase a DVD which contains all the plans available in the members area.  The DVD costs an extra $20 (inclusive of worldwide shipping) but if you do not feel like manually downloading all the plans (which does take quite a bit of time :/) this might be the option for you.  I didnt bother though.

Break Down of the bonuses

Ted’s Bonus #1 DWG/CAD Software

Basically this software that allows you to view and edit CAD files.  It is quite good and if you have experience with software and you are kind of technically savvy then you will not have any problem using this software.  Although I feel that a lot of folks may have difficulty using the software which is why I have created a special bonus for you guys if you visit Ted’s website via any link on this page and make your purchase.  I will them email you the videos and ebook.  Only visitors of this blog can avail of this unique opportunity.
I would give this bonus 3.5 out of 5.  I would have it "4" but the software isnt all that user friendly

Ted’s Bonus #2 150 Videos Members Area

The videos collection is quite a handy resource which does provide many “how to” woodworking videos.  I think the majority of these videos are hosted on YouTube and other video sharing websites.  So these are already available on the web!  I have not watched each individual video but the ones I have seen are good, packed with lots of tips, and I guess it is handy to have them all located in the same place.  The videos are organized in order of the type of wooden object being made in the video e.g. cabinets, bookcases, tables etc.

I am going to give this bonus 3 out of 5

Ted’s Bonus #3 How to Start a Woodworking Business

This 20 page e-book does contain good information but at the same time it is kind of common sense knowledge that most people would know already.  The book goes through the main areas needed to start a woodworking business like tools needed, where to find places to sell your self-made items, how to evaluate your competitors and how you can get them to work with you. The concluding chapter of the book discusses some other important factors you may need to consider when staring up a wood working business.

To be honest I think the book was thrown together at the last minute and even though the information in the book is good I think Ted could have provided more information and more resources.  Information concerning the legal obligations of the woodworker who wishes to sell his products should have been covered and also maybe things like the tax information.  It does tell you about business licenses but just tells you that you need one, lol.

I would give this bonus 2 out of 5.

Ted’s Bonus #4 Complete Woodworking Guides

This bonus is a series of ebooks which gives you tips and advice on how to work well with wood.  Some of the topics covered include sawing techniques and how to finish your wooden projects i.e. what finishes are suitable for what kind of finishes are suitable for different projects.

I would this woodworking guide bonus 3 out of 5.

WoodWorkingPlansReviewed.blogspot.com  BONUS!!!

When I decided to write a review for this product I thought of the ways in which I could make it a much better deal for my blog readers.  I feel the Ted’s woodworking product is good on its own and fantastic value for $67.  But I thought if I could “fill in the gaps” of the product then this would make it an altogether better product.

So I have made an ebook and a series of tutorial videos which will teach you how to successfully install and use the CAD/DWG viewer software (It’s kind of tricky).  I really want you to get the most out of your purchase and I feel you may be put off using the software if you are unsure as of how to start using it.  So I have gone through all that “annoyance” for you and made videos and wrote an ebook.

Now this offer is only available to the readers of this blog and it doesn’t matter if you are new to this site or if you have been following it for a while.

If you wish to purchase Teds Wood Working and you want to avail of my special bonus then you must visit Teds Wood Working from any of the links on this site then and make the purchase.

When you purchase Ted’s Wood Working you will be issued a receipt number.  If you send me this receipt number I can verify that you did purchase TWW from this site and then I will email you a download link where you can download my videos and ebook.


Final Word


I am sure that you stumbled upon my blog because you were unsure as to whether "Teds woodworking" was right for you.  I mean any successful woodworking project relies on a good plan and if you are the sort of person that doesnt want to spend time designing projects then I would definitely recommend Teds WoodWorking plans for you!  The product does have its flaws but then so does every product you buy.  If you eager to start turning out beautiful wooden projects, one after another then these are the plans for you.  I am not telling you to buy these plans but if you are looking for a library full of decent plans then I would urge you to at least consider buying them.


Feel free to comment on this blog post if you have any questions and I WILL answer each one!
Happy WoodWorking,


Ryan Riley

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How to Start a Woodworking Business

If you have ever wondered how to start a woodworking business, then this is article is going to help you do that. Woodworking is a craft that can see you earn a decent second income. Wood is abundant, readily available and a very versatile material that is very often used to make items of furniture. The thing is that you often know a lot more than the average folks when it comes to woodworking. There is probably a lot of information and know-how that you take for granted. What seems easy for you may seem very difficult for other people and here lies a serious money making opportunity. There are people who love woodworking, but just do it as a hobby and thats fine. The good news is that if you have interest & even a basic basic ability in woodworking, then transforming it from a hobby to business is quite effortless and this article is just going to give you an outline into how this may be done.

As you will see the barrier of entry is very low into this business. It is very easy to start a small woodworking business and there are many woodworking ideas to make money with.

What you will need:

                                                                                                                      

1. Tools

A good set of tools is essential. You can borrow or buy these but you may want to shop around and check the classified newspapers or the online classifieds e.g. craigslist.org. I am sure that there are lots of people advertising their tools for pennies on the dollar. The kind of tools that you will need for your projects will depend on the nature of your business. If you want to start selling small items e.g. tables, chairs and/or toys, then having simple hand tools may prove to be adequate. Larger projects may need bigger tools.

You will at least need the following tools:

1. Carpenters pencil
2. Tape measure
3. Stanley knife
4. Saw
5. Hammer
6. An assortment of nails/screws.
7. Tri-square
8. Sandpaper
9. Small plane
10. Assortment of screw drivers (phillips & flat)

Craigslist.org, as I have mentioned before, is one of the biggest websites of its kind and theres plenty of people offering their tools for sale and sometimes for free.  It is most popular in the USA where there are sections for every state.  If you live in America this will be a very useful resource if you need to find tools & even wood for your woodworking business.

You need to have clearly marked out your niche. Woodworking is a broad subject that can see you produce anything from a simple birdhouse all the way to production of office and home furniture. You need to copyright your products to avoid cases where people can steal your ideas for their own benefit.

Make sure you advertise. Again the classifieds can be a huge source of revenue for you that is if you dont want to make your own website. Ebay has been around for about 15 years and is still going strong. Which just proves that people buy stuff from one another over the internet and are completely comfortable doing so. There are many ways that you can advertise your products. You can use the internet. Using the internet will need you to put up a website. You can have a variety of sample pictures on the website. You also need to know all the ways of putting up a good website if you want to get enough traffic. You need to use the internet to not only advertise, but also to sell. With the website you will be able to tap into potential markets that cuts across country boundaries.

2. Woodworking Plans

The amount of money you make from your woodworking will be directly proportional to the ease and speed at which you build your projects.  This being said the fastest way to get building your projects will be if you have the plans already.  Plans have been carefully thought out and I do recommend that you purchase a good set of plans.  Trying to design your own projects is only going to cost you lots of time and there is no point in reinventing the wheel.

4. Wood

Wood can be sourced from numerous places.  Even scrap wood can be cleaned up and turned into beautiful woodworking project.  Stripping down old pallets can be a useful source of wood and nearly every business in town will have some that they were going to throw out anyway. Again check Craigslist.org!

3. A Workshop

It would be great if you could have the use of a big workshop full of the latest machinery and tonnes of wood.  This may not be a realistic option for you but all really need is a workbench and an empty room in your house.  If you live in a dry region then you may even prefer to build your woodworking projects outdoors.  You will probably need a clamp on your bench.

4. An Advertising Stream

This can be as easy as telling your friends that you have stuff for sale.  Other methods will include posting adverts on classifieds (online and offline).  Below is a list of classified type websites that will help get you started on making decent income from your woodworking.

Posting an advert on any of these sites is free.

ebay.com (International)

vendanything.com (USA)

craigslist.org (International)

gumtree.com (USA)

gumtree.co.uk (UK)

gumtree.com.au (AU)
gumtree.ie (IE)
gumtree.co.za (ZA)

backpage.com (International)

kijiji.com (CA)
cdncc.com (CA)

donedeal.ie (IE)

ukclassifieds.co.uk (UK)
trademe.co.nz (NZ)
nzherald.co.nz/classifieds (NZ)
global-free-classified-ads.com
getyardsale.com

Of course at the end of the day word of mouth is very powerful and advertising a yard sale may end up being a terrific income stream especially if you live in a built up area.

Making your own website
If you plan on making a catalogue of items and let your customers browse your website for items to buy then you may easily do this.  There are many great resources out there to help you start your own ecommerce store.  To start a website you basically need a domain name and some hosting.  The domain name is basically the .com or the .dot org name.  Your website will need hosting to store all the files that your website contains, for example the pictures of your woodworking projects and the text of your site.  As long as the woodworking business owner can commit to delivering the goods everything else is easily done even if you dont have good web technology skills.  Tip: if you sign up with bluehost for your website hosting then you get a free domain.

Woodworking ideas
There is no end to the range and scope of woodworking business opportunities.  There are literally thousands of items you could build and sell.  So the name of the game here is to build quickly and cheaply any woodworking item that has a high value.  The more valuable people see the item the more you can charge.  I will go into more detail with this later on in this series of woodworking business startup blog posts.

Thanks for reading my blog post.  I hope that you have gained value from this post.  I will be updating this blog with many different articles and tutorials.  I hope that you take the plunge and make a good income with your woodworking business startup.

Best Regards,
Ryan Riley

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Lathe Cart

Here is the tool cart I built for all things wood turning.  

You know the scene...  Tool pandemonium.  You set out to use your lathe, but first you have to round up all the necessary equipment.  Let me get my face shield, my dust mask, earplugs, tool wrap, chuck, faceplate, and the list goes on.  Next I need to clear off a work bench or cart to put all of these items on. After the time youve spent just getting ready to mount your piece on the lathe, its lunch time, or you get a call and you have to stop what youre doing. A lone tear drips from your eye...  To add to the insanity, since all of your tools are strewn across a bench top, its real work to find what you need.

I got tired of this in a hurry and set out to design and build a rolling cart that would fill the need.  I started by identifying what exactly I wanted out of such an assistant.  Well, first and foremost, it needed to hold tools.  Also, of utmost importance, is a surface large enough to hold a bench grinder.  The only thing better than having someone sharpen your tools for you is having the grinder close by while you are working.  I also wanted space to store essentials like chucks, extra jaws & associated hardware, faceplates, sand paper, air tools, project supplies and other miscellaneous items.

The top surface that my grinder is mounted to is about 44" from the floor. The case dimensions are 30" wide and 20.5" deep.  I have casters on this cart also, so that I can position it for either lathe that Im working at.

I built the case and drawer boxes from 3/4" cabinet grade plywood with 1/4" luan for the drawer bottoms and the cases back.  I used pocket drilling to assemble the majority of the case and drawer boxes.  No, I didnt buy the Kreg jig...I made one.  Maybe Ill explain that in a future post.  

I bought 18" full extension drawer slides off Ebay.  I also bought in bulk since Im planning to add some drawers to my workbench.  The handles and casters I picked up at local hardware stores.  

Helpful Hint:  While doing projects like this, dont forget to check out the clearance and bargain bins. I was lucky and found just enough handles on clearance for this project.  

You can probably recreate the dimensions for this project without too much trouble.  However, if youd like, I do have CAD models available for a small fee to take out the dimensional guesswork.  Just send a message if I dont have the CAD uploaded yet.  Just to let you know, this model is intended to be a guide and is not a fully detailed.  If you require such drawings let me know and Ill accommodate your request.

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