The Secrets of Cabinets in June

Say 'kitchen cabinet' to five homeowners and five different mental images will pop into five heads. Before you come to the meeting, take a look at your cabinets. What material are they made of? Were they custom built in your house, or are they off-the-shelf? Are they stained, painted or laminated? Do they reach the ceiling or is there soffit, crown molding or empty space on top? Are your doors overlay, flush or inset? Do they have soft close hinges? Do you have fixed or movable shelving? Is there undershelf lighting?Now, take a breath and look at the installation. Can you tell where the cabinets were joined together? Are there visible mounting screws inside or, better yet, empty holes where they missed the studs when mounting?

Andy and I will discuss some of these items as well as the challenges that face any cabinet installer; amateur or professional. We'll answer some questions and try to give you the 'woodworkers' view of cabinet installation along with a few horror stories from our more recent installations.

See you there.

Karl Bogott (editor)

From the President

Welcome to June!

This month's meeting has alot to offer; Andy/Karl's presentation on kitchen/renovation lessons learned and the six pack challenge.  Although I haven't started construction of a six pack, alot of sleeptime thought has been going into the project.  It's amazing the number of design thoughts that manifest themselves during this non-shop time.

Earlier this year a Sketchup discussion was held with a spicebox as a specific example.  You might suspect that it's almost finished.  In reality, its only 60% complete.  Inlay, stringing, banding and finishing remain; not particularly quick or easy.

Attached are two pictures showing the status of its current construction.  Click on the image to view a larger copy.

Upcoming Programs

July - It looks like we're still on track for Paul Garrity to give a demo of his new sawmill.  Thanks to Carl Lancaster for volunteering to provide the logs.

August - I've penciled in "Spray Finishing Methods" and have pestered Bret and Andy to support.  We'll see if this idea pans out.

September - This meeting has typically been our picnic at Pat Lester's house.  In addition, the tenative topic is "The business of craft fairs". This event and topic may/may not occur depending on Pat's travel schedule and Daniel's schedule.

Well, that's all for now.  Looking forward to seeing you all on the 25th.

Jim Francis

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At the Next Meeting - Cabinets Exposed! and the 6 pack carrier contest

If cabinets aren't your thing, then bring your six pack carrier. Let's see how creative the members are. It's a contest and someone has to win.

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Product Review - The Norton 5" Random Orbital Sander by Andy Steinberg

Recently, my Festool Sander needed service. To assist me in the shop to minimize downtime with some of the minor sanding, I decided to purchase the Norton 5” Orbital Sander at Woodcraft. The cost is $49.99.
The sander has a nice weight to it and the hook and loop pad makes for easy applying and removal of the sanding disks. This model utilizes the 8-hole 5” disk. And, it does have a dust collector. To my surprise, I was able to attach my Festool vacuum system for dust collection.
The first couple of hours of use went well. As I was sanding a table top and running through the routine gamut of 120 grit, then 150grit, then 180 grit disks, I was achieving the desired finish results. After a while, the sander began operating less than satisfactory.
Note: I have had my Festool Sander for 12+ years with no issues until now. I do not push down hard to accelerate the process. I learned to apply light pressure but let the sander do the work to achieve the desired outcome.
At first, I thought the Norton sander was over-heating because of usage; there was an intermittent whine. I let the unit cool down a bit and then blew it out with the air compressor. Briefly, this seemed to resolve the problem, but the whine came back.
Then the fun started; the sander would speed up and slow down on its own. In case you are wondering, no, there is no variable speed knob on this model. Then, the sander would spin erratically and would constantly grab the surface and/or tilt from side to side. Yes, a fresh sanding disc was installed. Instead of flattening and smoothing, the sander was scratching the surface. Not the results I was hoping for with this purchase.
Currently I am waiting for service from Norton to get back to me to determine what the best procedure is for the return.
Bottom line, Woodcraft has some incredible sanders produced my Festool, Dewalt, Bosch and Porter Cable. I would recommend sticking with any of them. Or, take your chances with the Norton. You can also try the sushi from the vending machine.

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Tip of the Month - Make Your Work Surfaces Smooth and Protected

A simple application of wax to your metal surfaces will not only protect them from rust, but make your work slide so much easier. Clean the rust, dust and other undesireables from the surface. Apply a generous layer of wax. I've used both solid and liquid car waxes over time. Buff it out and go back to work. It will make a world of difference. You will need to reapply more often if you do a lot of work. Don't forget router baseplates, too.

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Editors Notes - Four Newsletters to Go!

This is YOUR Guild. It is a living breathing (so to speak) entity. The young must take over from those who've been here for years. Breath new life and excitement into woodworking and into your guild. It's time for new blood in the newsletter, and perhaps the website. Step up and make your mark on the Guild. Next month, the count will be on one hand. In January, a new editor will publish your newsletter.

See you Monday - Karl

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