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April 2002 |
Gary's Bit
 Gary
Walchuk has finally hit the woodworking big leagues and is thinking
about early retirement. A few months ago, he sent Lee Valley
Tools a hand-ground prototype for a router bit he made by grinding
down a straight cutting bit. “I sent them the bit, along
with a few examples of the joints milled with the bit and they
liked it,” says Walchuk.
The small drawer lock bit made
the September Lee Valley catalogue and more than 675 were sold
for $24.50 each in the first four months. The new bit is basically
a smaller version of the large drawer lock bit, except Walchuk’s
version enables you to use thinner wood; it can cut stock as
thin as 1/4" whereas the large bit is only good for 5/8"
material and up.
The bit is ideal for any 90°
corner joinery of thin stock. “The real benefit to this
joint is how easy it is to assemble,” says Walchuk. “The
pieces fit together easily which makes gluing and clamping a
breeze.” The profile causes the joint to draw tight, making
the joint quite strong. And since it’s a locking bit, both
halves of the joint are made in a single setup without changing
the bit or fence settings. Cuts are quick and joints fit perfectly
because the mating halves are identical.
This is Walchuk’s third invention
and the only one he’s getting paid for. “I’m
still working on that magical invention that I’ll sell
a million of at $2,000 a piece,” he says from his small,
home workshop in Barrie, Ont. In the meantime, he plans to continue
working on his favourite projects—cabinets, clocks and
tables—and adding to the 300-plus projects he’s built
for Canadian Home Workshop magazine over the last 12
years.
—Jay Somerset |
 Portable
Sawhorse
A new collapsible sawhorse bracket called Struts is a welcome
improvement on the old 2 x 4 style sawhorses taking up space
in the corner of my garage. What makes Struts different than
other manufactured sawhorse brackets is that they slide onto
the sides of a standard door to make a stable work surface and
the brackets are adjustable so you can use them with a door
as narrow as 22" or as wide as 36".
Assembly is easy and requires
no tools. Just guide the door’s end into one of the bracket
ends and then into the second bracket and viola—you’ve
got a 29"-high work surface, the ideal height for a portable
workbench or a desk.
Two brackets weigh 16 pounds and
pull apart easily to be stored flat.
A pair of Struts retails approximately
$75. For more information, contact the manufacturer at www.struts.biz
or call 415-388-2444.
—Douglas Thomson |
Phone Flasher
 Have
you ever missed an important call because you couldn’t
hear the phone ring over the noise of power tools or dust collection
in your shop? The Shop Flash, a new device made by Woodstock
International Inc., seems to solve this problem.
It’s pretty simple: when
the phone rings, a white light flashes much like a camera flash.
It’s bright enough to see in broad daylight. There’s
also a ring option that chimes louder than a typical phone that
can be used in conjunction with the light.
The unit is about the size of
a small answering machine. Installation is as easy as attaching
it to the wall and plugging it in. It works best mounted on
a wall where the flashing light is high enough to see, and can
be as much as 16' from the phone.
The unit sells for about $45,
including mounting hardware and wiring. For more information,
contact Woodstock International
at www.woodstockinternational.com
or 800-840-8420.
—Jay Somerset, photos by Christopher Campbell (above),
Roger Yip
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