Woodcraft offers tools to help you turn your trash into a treasure

WoodCraft is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live

We have presented "Trash to Treasure" in the past months but have not shown some of the tools we've used to transform our projects.

One woodworking tool used on all of the projects is the router. Essentially a motor with a cutting bit attached, the router is the most versatile tool in a woodshop.  It can be used for joinery such as dados, rabbits and mortises. If can be used for decoration detail, as round-over edging, table-edge profiles and inlay patterns. It can be used for shaping panels for cabinet doors and profiles for cabinet door frames. We have brought examples of these, here today.

A router may be hand-held or mounted in a table. A table-mounted router was used in the making of our chili-pepper tray. Two different types of wood are glued together and allowed to dry. A pattern is then traced out on the top piece. A drill-press and forester bit is used to remove excess waste material quickly. The template is then attached to the blank using double-sided tape. The blank with the pattern attached is then turned up-side down on the router table. A pattern bowl bit is used to do the final cutting-out of the tray. The bearing allows the bit to follow the pattern and the bit's shape creates a slight curve on the tray's sides.

Once the material is removed the blank is taken to a band saw for final shaping.  Detail sanding follows and several coats of a food-safe finish are then applied and allowed to dry.

No actual chili-peppers were harmed in the production of the tray…

Saturday March 9, 2013 at 1pm there will be a free router demonstration at the store and open to all interested.  The location is Woodcraft at 3002 N. Arizona Ave #12, Chandler, AZ 85225.

WoodCraft is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live