Rockler was the proud sponsor of the Winter 2010 LumberJocks' Woodworking Awards, and the winners were announced today! LJ had a record-breaking 151 entrants for this season's challenge which was "Yin Yang, The Dark and the Light". The idea was to create a project that used color (dark and light) "to convey how contrasts work together to make the whole". Imagine 151 variations on this theme! Completing and submitting an entry for this contest was a huge accomplishment, and we congratulate all the entrants on their efforts!

The voting was done by the LumberJocks themselves. Anyone who had ever posted a project on the site was eligible to vote, and the four top vote-getters won prizes from Rockler.

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Today I'd like to share a great review for the Deluxe Sewing Center Plan. The review is not unusual - this is a great piece of furniture, and the plan (and our lift mechanism that goes with it) regularly get good reviews.

This week, however, Curtis Vixie of Susanville, California sent in a review that included some really fabulous pictures of the sewing center he built from the plan. (There are even more images if you click through to the review).

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Our new Photo Gallery has been turning up some really interesting projects! One of my favorites is shown here: Running Table by David T. from Cypress, California. How fun is this? Check out the gallery to read the story of how David made this console table and turned it in for his college English project, and find out why the table ran away! Incredibly creative!

We love to see our readers' projects. The Rockler Project Gallery is a great source for inspiration. you can upload your own completed project, or visit today to browse the more than 200 projects that have been sent in so far... but be sure to catch them before they run away!

We are very excited to announce the opening of our new Customer Project Gallery! Rockler.com now has a spiffy new place for you to share your talents with thousands of other woodworkers.

It's easy to upload a project to the Gallery. Give it a try here. We look forward to seeing lots and lots of creative pieces from our talented customers.

If you don't have anything to upload right now, browse through the projects in the Gallery for inspiration. There are currently eight categories, including sections on Furniture, Cabinets, Carving, Turning, Jigs/Shop Projects, Kids' Furniture/Toys, Outdoor and Small Projects. We've already got some very interesting pieces on display!

As always, we'd love to hear your feedback. You're welcome to come back here after visiting the Gallery, and leave your comments below this post. Enjoy!

Our customer review of the week this week is definitely the funkiest use of our hardware that we've seen yet! Willem Volkersz, of Bozeman, Montana writes

I have used Rockler hardware in my mixed media and neon sculptures for many years; they perfectly complement the kind of craftsmanship I strive for in my work. [In the piece shown at right] I am using Rockler nickel plated catches and hinges (as well as black vinyl covered handles) for a sculptural installation that consists of 165 wooden suitcases and the neon figure of a boy.

You know Rockler's all about woodworking, but don't forget that "Hardware" is the second part of our name. We've got the hardware you'll need for all the projects you can imagine, and even some you might not have thought of.

We found a unique example on the web this morning of the use of some of our hardware products: The official presentation case for the State Seal of Alabama happens to have been made with Rockler hardware!

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What's better than a free woodworking plan? How about a free woodworking plan that's doable in a weekend, doesn't require Norm's shop, and doesn't leave you hunting around for obscure materials or strange, exotic hardware items. That, we think, is what makes Rockler E-Z Plans such a perennial favorite. Perfect for woodworkers with beginning to intermediate skill, the free E-Z Plans lean toward compact projects that require only affordable, readily available materials, nearly all of which can be purchased right here on the Rockler website.

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Well, it's here, and we're hoping that small, medium-sized, or gigantic box under the tree turned out to be exactly the woodworking gift you wanted. Christmas is an exciting time for huge numbers of our customers. We know that because every year, a few days after the big event, waves of customer reviews start rolling in describing the year's haul, and how it's being put to use. It's the "how it's being put to use" part that we like best. Mixed in with valuable insights on our tools and supplies, we're frequently privileged to witness some pretty impressive end results. So, in honor of the talent and hard work of our customers, here are a few of our favorites:

This beautiful wine cabinet was built by Barry Semegran, who reviewed of our Polyurethane Satin Gel Finish, a product we've had on the shelves for decades. According to him, this wipe on poly is so easy to use and forgiving, it's almost like cheating. It doesn't look like Barry cheats or cuts corners very often to us - in either design of execution. We especially like the painted images on the inside of the doors - a nice surprise when you open the cabinet.

We'd guess that the skills acquired in an auto body shop would transfer well into the woodshop, and here's proof. Built by Mike Leslie for his shop in Sundance, WY, this service cart looks too good to use. Mike was kind enough to include the image along with his review of the Accuride 3832 Full Extension Drawer Slide - which he seems to have worked out very well for him. Later, he got a chance to use the slides again in a matching tool chest. A great design and, judging from the picture, a masterful finishing job. Again, we're wondering how he can bring himself to actually  use it.

Here's a solid looking toy box with a couple of nice touches. Its builder, Dennis DeMorest, used our Antique Brass Piano Hinge and Toy Box Lid Supports as part of the clever fold-down chalk board lid design. We also like the inlaid blocks in the sides and front. 

We often wonder what becomes of some of the more obscure hardware items we've had on hand for years  - such as our Leather Case Handles. Things couldn't be better if they all ended up the attached to items of comparable quality to this handsome walnut and elm burl briefcase. Brad from Austin TX built it for a client in the early 1990's. Fifteen years later when the handle finally wore out, he was happy to find the exact same part still in stock.

Thanks to David T., from Cypress, CA for this impressive image and his kind words about our Wine Box-Elder Burl Pen Blanks. You'll find several images of finely crafted turned pens in our customer reviews. We chose this one because it's an exceptionally well-made example, and because of the format, which really brings you up-close-and-personal with what a great pen looks like. We admire the confidence David must have in order to show the world his work with such bald-faced clarity.

The art of inlay is a branch of woodworking that you can take to high levels of craft, design and expertise without owning a huge shop and tons of expensive tools. As a matter of fact, if you choose "marquetry" (in simplified terms, using thin sheets of veneer instead of the comparatively thick pieces of wood stock used here) you can do the most interesting and demanding parts of the process while sitting at your kitchen table. If you'd like to give it a try, we hope this example will both inspire you and give you something shoot for.  The maker, Bob Shultz from Los Gatos, CA, used our thin stock Padauk and Purpleheart lumber for the flower petals.

We could go on and on. But more than likely, you have some tool testing, set up or assembly to get on with. So here, in parting, is a departure for Dave Miller, a canoe and kayak builder in Juneau, AK.  Dave sent this along with his review of (and general praise for) the Japanese Dozuki Saw, a tool he says excels at accurately cutting the thin, narrow slats he customarily applies to the building of watercraft. We've never seen anything like it. Our only regret is that we haven't seen the completed project. So, if you happen to spot a uniquely decked-out teardrop camper in the wilds of Alaska, please snap a picture and send it in post-haste.

And please keep your own pictures and reviews rolling in. We can't wait to see what you're working on. Merry Christmas from all of us at Rockler.

A few months ago, Bruce - a devoted Star Trek fan from Roseburg, Oregon - graced the Rockler website with a very kind review of our 3 degree tilt swivel and a picture of the project for which, he said, it worked extremely well.  This week, Bruce updated us on the nearly-finished Starship Enterprise TOS (the original series) command chair project that’s been occupying his spare time. All we can say is - WOW!

Now, you may be sizing this up – like we did – as the work of a veteran furniture maker or professional fabricator. Nope. That’s the best part. According to Bruce, this is the first time he’s ever made anything out of wood. When asked about the process, he was candid about the learning curve, citing the wood armrests as a head-scratcher for a time. Nevertheless, it sounds like he had a great time and extracted an obvious triumph, even if trial and error phases of the project helped keep a (non-dilithium compatible, we assume) stove fired over a couple of cool winter months.

However it happened, we’re very impressed here – but not entirely surprised. We think the project should serve as an inspiration not only to fellow devotees of the legendary TV series, but to anyone who’s ever wanted to take up a project and didn’t because they thought the necessary skills were out of reach. Here’s proof-positive that a first woodworking project can turn out great.

And we’d be happy to help. In our stock of tools, hardware and woodworking materials, you’ll find everything you need for a huge variety of traditional woodworking projects, as well as endeavors that are a ways off the beaten path. And if you need a little advice, our famously knowledgeable and accommodating technical support staff will be glad to help you find exactly what you need. Then, when you’re all set, we’ll bundle it up and ship it to your door as quickly as we can. If you’re anxious to get moving on a project, it’s the next best thing to whipping out your communicator and having Scotty beam you a board.

Thanks again to Bruce for the review and the pictures.

As the product reviews keep piling up on the Rockler website, we’re finding more and more examples of truly great work done by our customers. We really need to feature more on the Rockler Blog. To get started, here’s a truly striking example of inlay work employing the ready to use thin lumber that we offer for the purpose. It was posted recently by Bob Shultz, along with this review:

“I used 1/8" African Padauk and Purple Heart for a table top inlay project and am very pleased with the color and quality of the wood.”

We think it’s a great example of inlay work, and of our thin stock lumber. The technique, if you’re not familiar with it, involves cutting the desired pattern pieces out of thin pieces of stock, tracing the pattern onto the receiving surface, routing and chiseling out the recess, and gluing the pieces in place. Judging by the shape and the quality of the work, we’re guessing the example you see here involved a good deal of careful scroll-sawing, hand fitting of parts and delicate chiseling and filing. If you’d like to try something similar, but don’t think you have the time or patience for anything quite so demanding, there is an easier way.

With Rockler’s Inlay Bushing and Bit with Removable Collar, you’ll be able to cut perfectly matching inlays and recesses using a single pattern. Simply use the guide bushing without the removable collar to cut the inlay components by following the contour of your patterns. Snapping the solid brass collar onto the bushing will situate the router bit in exactly the right place in relation to the pattern to cut an exactly matching recess in the receiving material. You will be limited to more curvilinear shapes due to the circular shape of the guide bushing, but it’s a small price to pay for the ease and precision the tool hands you.

Or, if you prefer to follow a predetermined plan, you could go with Rockler’s patriotic Presidential Dollar Intarsia Plan. Intarsia – as it is currently practiced – also takes advantage of the wealth of patterns and colors available to the woodworker, and typically adds a degree of three-dimensionality. The Presidential Dollar plan was designed for Rockler by intarsia’s leading expert Judy Gale Roberts, and can be completed without a lot of challenging inlay to recess matching. If you decide to give it a try, be sure to read the intarsia plan customer reviews for a couple of helpful tips. And if you like it, consider picking up a copy of Judy’s intarsia book for loads more patterns and some great instruction in the craft.

Marquetry offers another way to create pictures and patterns with wood. Instead of using thin pieces of timber, marquetry is constructed using wood veneers. And while marquetry graces some of the finest furniture ever made, it also turns out to be a great sport for anyone who’s short on space and has a limited supply of tools. In fact, with just a few hand veneering tools, you can make designs in wood that are as intricate and complex as you like. And since it doesn’t rely on power tools or bulky, dusty equipment, you can complete the majority of a marquetry project while sitting at your kitchen table.  You’ll find a great selection of veneers at Rockler, along with a couple of excellent marquetry books and DVDs to help you get started on the right foot.

Many thanks to Bob for sending us the photo. We hope it inspires other Rockler customers to try their hand at one of the many ways to “paint with wood”, to show us the results when they’re done.