I thought having sponsors would be easy – wear their T-shirts and cash their checks. Sadly, we’ve have had a bumpy relationship with both Hold Harmless clamps and Malodorous Mallet. (We, ahem, have a couple gross of Malodorous-brand mallets to give away at the next open day, FYI.)
Thanks goodness for CTS Co., makers of the Tenonitis (TM) Joinery Saws. To celebrate, we’ll be putting their new line of Joint Ripper saws through their paces in our shop in the coming weeks.
I’ll buy one, but only if it has a laser.
speaking of t-shirts…. or at least some stickers of these wonderful partners
I live in Central Florida and live oak is by far the most common tree. They were planted everywhere, and after living hear a while you can recognize the different cultivars, or pick out the non-human planted ones that have been around for hundreds of years. The type, and where the tree grew has a huge impact on how hard it is to work. The smaller ones grown in suburbia are easier to work with because they don’t have the environmental hardships that lead to gnarly grain, but they lack some of the character.
There are a few family owned local saw mills that rescue them from the firewood guys when they come down. Hurricane Irma took a bunch of ancient ones down, which is really, really sad, but in about 10 years when they dry out, some people are going to make a fortune off of the rounds they were able to get (we’re talking 8 feet diameters in some cases, kid you not). One sawyer I know joked they were likely to pay for his kid’s college. With the normal stuff, you can get really fairly priced 4/4 and 8/4 from them, and they tend to use the straighter grained pieces for it (the same stuff boat builders would look for).
But, one of the things I love about live oak is that you can get some of the most unique grain patterns you’ve ever seen. They are very heavy trees, and as they grow the grain can do some crazy stuff to accommodate all that weight. I’ve got a big limb drying out that has gorgeous waves, and I’m finishing off a Lost Art Press inspired Roman Workbench out of a giant slab I purchased wet.
What I really wish is I could find someone to slice veneer off of some of the grain I’ve collected, but it’s not like I have whole tress to make it worth their while. Sure I can make bandsaw veneer but you don’t get as much. Sometimes I dream of buying industrial veneer slicing equipment!
And, I’m an idiot, this was supposed to be on the Underhill mallet post! Oh well.
Hey I still enjoyed reading your comment. I live in north Georgia, far outside Live Oak’s native range. I dream of working with the stuff though. One of these days I’ll take a trailer down to Florida and get as much as I can.
Ugh – I salvaged some live oak limbs from a neighbor’s roadside trash pile.
Made a sledge hammer handle. Pain to shape but a pleasure to hold.
If you make a Tee shirt with this design, I will want one.
Have you talked to the “All Smiles Carpentry Company” yet?
Will you be in their booth doing “meet and greets” at the AWFS Vegas show?
I’ll take 30 shirts. Hurtz, TX is my Mecca.
Ok Chris…you got me. I actually went and goggled them. It’s not even April 1!
I am an occupational therapist who treats hand injuries! I hope we can work out some sort of referral system. I’ll buy you lunch a steak lunch once a month and you send me the list of names of anyone who buys the saws through your site!
So I’m guessing that gluten free, vegan, lactose free, biscuit jointer company fell through? Maybe you could pick up Rotater Cuff Sander Co.
I hear they also make the best LBP (Lower Back Pain) Back Saw. They ship it rapped in a nice Hernia Belt.
Maybe put a call into the Assless Chaps Cargo Pants company. They are perfect for farting around in the shop.
Mike, you might like the Carhartt Rugged Work Thong. https://www.theonion.com/carhartt-introduces-rugged-work-thong-1819587919
Assless chaps are redundant. Chaps are, by definition, assless.
It really chaps my ass when people make that mistake.
Unless assless chaps refers to actual humans (chaps) with no asses and not the garment. I would hazard to guess that Assless Chaps Cargo Pants come with suspenders for actual chaps with no asses and was created by some old guys with no butts who we’re tired of trying to finding pants that fit and would stay up.
I never thought about it like that!
I wonder if they are associated with Carpal Tunnel Screwdrivers.
Or, you could reduce traffic jams by promoting carpool tunnels
I bought from the Jet Plane Company but got wood splinter rash from being dragged through my work. Gave up on it. Only using my Just Plain Planes now.
I tried a seen instead of a saw, but it was the wrong tense.
Seriously @lostartpress this one deserves a T-shirt…