Other benefits include milk paint’s versatility and visual appeal. It can be applied over absorbent surfaces such as wood, concrete, plaster or brick without the need for primer. It is UV fade-resistant and will accept all topcoats and finishes, which can alter the sheen or add even more durability. Milk paint dries quickly without residual odor and cleans up with water. Waste paint is worry-free, too — just pour it down the drain, flush it or compost it.

The Real Milk Paint Co. Milk Paint, now available in an assortment of colors from Rockler, is made from natural ingredients: casein, lime, pigments and a plant-based filler. The paint is simple to prepare for use by mixing it 50/50 with tap water. Each can includes 11⁄4 cups of paint powder and a handy glass mixing marble. Pour the amount of dry paint and water you need into the plastic can, drop the marble in, snap on the lid and shake the can vigorously for 5 minutes.

Once mixed, the paint is workable for up to two weeks if kept refrigerated. In powdered form, it’s shelf stable and will last for years. The dry contents of the can forms one pint of liquid paint, which covers about 35 sq. ft.

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Understanding Origin

So what is a Shaper Origin? “Think of it as a router with a super accurate GPS system,” Jake says. It is essentially a handheld CNC machine.

Shaper Origin locates itself within a workspace created by the user via strips of domino-looking adhesive tape placed on the workpiece. The user can then place a “digital template” onto the workspace, and Shaper Origin machines it by reading the programming. The user steers the tool along a path shown on its touch screen on top. Shaper Origin adjusts its cutting position instantly to correct for minor user errors.

The programming is easy to make on the machine or by using Shaper Studio, and there are also hundreds of designs available at Shaper Hub, including the programming for the clock you see here. That’s one of the best things about the Shaper Origin system. When you buy a Shaper, you get access to all sorts of programming — from plans to hardware installation to templates. There are accessories that add functionality to the tool, too. Learn more by visiting Rockler or at shapertools.com.

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Clapham’s Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish can alleviate any niggling concerns you may have, because its ingredients couldn’t be simpler: beeswax and food-safe mineral oil. That’s it! It contains no harmful chemicals or additives.

Unscrewing the lid and taking a deep breath of the contents will confirm the beeswax immediately — it’s subtle and the only discernible smell this product has. Clapham’s has formulated the wax emulsion to be firm enough to be solid but not so stiff as to prevent it from loading easily onto an applicator. Rubbing it over bare wood, the wax immediately liquefies and penetrates into the grain, darkening it without imparting a shine. Once it dries, the wood takes on a flat appearance again, as though the surface is damp but entirely dry to the touch.

Aside from being food-safe, the other upside to a natural blended-wax finish is that it couldn’t be simpler to apply: wipe it on liberally, give it a few minutes to soak in and wipe off the excess. The downside, however, is that it will need to be reapplied often and off ers only slight water resistance and protection.

Clapham’s Beeswax Salad Bowl Finish is suitable for wooden bowls, spoons and butcher blocks and can also be used as a cutting board wax or as a food-safe countertop finish. It comes in a 7 oz jar and sells for $19.99.

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“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our new GRR-RIPPER 2GO technology to the newest entrants to the craft who are learning the fundamentals of working with wood and creating with their hands,” said CEO Bruce Wang. “We’re grateful these young learners are expressing interest, and we hope to provide a safe foundation for a fruitful journey with wood.”

The GRR-RIPPER 2GO, introduced in February, is the first-ever patented color-coded push block. It is designed to allow users to cut thin pieces safely and accurately with no bare-hand feeding, providing enhanced safety and control on table saws, router tables, band saws and jointers. The color-coded design of the GRR-RIPPER 2GO can make it more intuitive for students to use and adhere to proper safety protocols.

With this donation program, MICROJIG is making a significant investment in personal safety for public schools across the United States and contributing to the overall goal of ending table saw injuries.

Middle schools can visit microjig.com to apply for the donation. Additionally, as part of the initiative, MICROJIG will offer a 25 percent discount to all public schools interested in adding other MICROJIG products or additional GRR-RIPPERS to their woodworking spaces.

MICROJIG was founded in 2001 by woodworking hobbyist Henry Wang in his Orlando, Florida, garage. The company has since grown and now offers a total of nine product categories, all aimed at providing innovative solutions for woodworkers to work safely and efficiently. Their flagship product, the GRR-RIPPER, was created to replace traditional push sticks with a safer and more advanced woodworking technology.

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When building small projects that you want to really make a statement, material selection is one essential key. Perhaps wenge is not a lumber you find attractive. If so, this wine cabinet would look amazing if made of bird’s eye, clouded big leaf or fiddleback maple. Highly figured walnut or quartersawn mahogany would also be good choices. The point is that if the design is basic, the “wow” factor must come from the beauty the wood provides. Then the hardware will enhance the whole. In a simple project, the details will carry the day. In this case, the curly cherry plywood back and the green felt lining add much to the whole, too.

First Things First

Whatever species of lumber you choose, select your most attractive pieces for the sides and the door. As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but being intentional about these choices will pay dividends in the long run.

Rip the sides to width and then crosscut them to length. We did both on the table saw, but you could cut them to length using a miter saw as well. The dimensions provided in the Material List will accommodate most wine bottles, but if you have specific bottles in mind, measure them to make sure they will fit, and adjust accordingly if needed. With that step done, go ahead and cut the top and bottom pieces to size as well.

We cut out each of these parts from lumber wide enough that we did not have to glue up pieces for the sides, top and bottom.

That was not true for the door. We used 3/4″ x 5″ x 24″ wenge lumber, sourced from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. The door needs to be just a little shy of 10″ wide, so that required a center glue joint. It was our preference that the door panel look as if it were formed from a single piece of stock, so we took care to match the figure and the color of the two pieces. Joint the mating edges so that they fit together well. Use Titebond III (its darker hue is helpful here), clamp them together and leave them in the clamps overnight. If you are using wenge like we did, that extra clamping time is important because glue joints in wenge can be fussy.

With the door still in clamps to allow the glue to cure, grab the sides, bottom and top. Go ahead and sand them up to 100 grit, then step over to the router table. The top and bottom pieces require an ogee shape on both faces of their forward edge. All the pieces need 1/4″ x 1/4″ rabbets on their inside edges.

Chuck the ogee bit into the router table and set up the cut on scrap lumber. The shape should leave about a 3/8″ flat area between the two ogees. Again, if you are using wenge, move the pieces slowly across the bit. Wenge can be brittle, and tearouts are common. You may even wish to consider a climb cut to avoid trouble. You can certainly choose another edge shape rather than an ogee, but keep the depth of the shape around 1/4″ to align with the edge of the door.

Next, chuck a 1/2″-diameter straight bit into the router table. Set the cut to form a 1/4″ x 1/4″ rabbet, checking the setup on scrap lumber. On the sides, rout the rabbet the full length of each piece. Stop the rabbets on the top.

Dowels and Dowel Points

The next step is to join the carcass pieces together. We used dowels to strengthen the joints. In hindsight, biscuits might have been a better choice. There are carefully to length. Next, go ahead and sand the door smooth up through 320- grit. We chose Odie’s Oil for the finish, and with that product, the smoother the better. (It’s another important detail in taking a cabinet like this to the next level.)

When the glue has cured on the carcass, chisel off any glue squeeze-out and sand the carcass up to the 320-grit level as well. (You may wish to install the hinges first, then remove them and do your final sanding.)

Install and then remove the door pull and the feet, then apply the Odie’s Oil. Note that with this hard wax oil, a little goes a long, long way.

Once the finish dries, put the felt pad in the carcass and attach the plywood back. Put a drop of CA glue into the holes where you mount the feet and secure them. Rehang the door with its pull, and you are ready to grab a couple of wine bottles. Enjoy the cabinet, oh … and the wine too!

Click Here to Download the Drawing and Materials List.

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This exhibition featured the U.S. premier of Swedish artist Claes Larsson, known as ClaesKamp, whose expressive woodcarvings reflect his punk rock roots and respond to contemporary issues facing the world.

Primarily creating sculptures out of wood, Claes explores the border between traditional woodwork and the foundational experiences of his younger years with street art and punk. His techniques are surprising and in many ways topple the traditional rules of wood slöjd (handcraft eduction) in pursuit of the next generation of the art form. They invite visitors to reconsider the notion that handcraft is primarily a functional art form or an art of survival and at the same time underscore handcraft’s longstanding tradition as a medium for exchanging ideas.

“As a kid I used to have ‘painting Fridays’ with my dad. He got a beer and I got something with a lot of sugar, we listened to rock n’ roll and painted all night. Never with any demands of certain results or progress, but for the fun of it. That’s where I found art,” Claes says.

Alongside Claes, artwork by local artist Liesl Chatman was on display. Liesl employs kolrosing (fine line surface decoration in wood) and carving as means to process and reflect on lived experience. Among other works by Liesl, visitors were able to view a special spoon-carving project she launched in 2020.

Part of the ASI campus is the Turnblad Mansion, an amazing 1908 structure with a rich history. Within this exhibit were a series of carefully selected hand-carved objects from the historic mansion, which is itself a masterpiece in woodcarving. Throughout the galleries, visitors encountered tools of necessity made and used by some of Minnesota’s earliest settlers as well as sentimental objects brought by Nordic immigrants and passed on through generations. Although separated by time and place, these objects represent the lived experiences of each of their makers and invite visitors to consider how handcraft has evolved over time.

“Leaving Your Mark” coincides with the 100th anniversary of Sätergläntan, one of Sweden’s oldest and most cherished centers for learning and preserving handcraft. Students from all over the world travel to learn from master artisans at this boundary- breaking meeting place and knowledge center in the Swedish region of Dalarna.

Exhibit visitors also were able to view a selection of ASI’s collection of Scandinavian flat-plane figure carvings by Swedish artist Herman Rosell (1893-1969) alongside excerpts from “As It Was Before,” a new publication about Swedish immigration to America.

The American Swedish Institute

The American Swedish Institute (ASI) is a gathering place for all people to explore diverse experiences of migration, identity, belonging and the environment through arts and culture, informed by enduring links to Sweden. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, ASI has been a leading cultural institution in the Twin Cities area. ASI is open to the public. Learn more at their website.

All photos are by Claes Larsson PC Rights reserved

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Rockler’s contribution of speaker kits and other tools to the Southside school support Simeon Academy’s carpentry program and inspire students to pursue careers or lifelong hobbies in carpentry and woodworking.

“For many of us, shop class is where our woodworking skills begin and end, but our hope is that through donations like this, we can help young people continue to build on their skills and extend their love of the craft that so many people enjoy,” says Steve Singer, Rockler’s CEO.

Inspiring Futures

Simeon Academy carpentry students worked on the wooden speaker kits as a year-end project, led by instructor Isiah Rowsey.

“It’s always exciting to see students improve on their woodworking skills throughout the school year, and the Rockler Bluetooth speakers served as a fun project to give the students an opportunity to show off what they’ve learned this year,” says Rowsey.

“America needs young carpenters and woodworkers, and our school was fortunate to receive this important donation to give students quality tools and projects to help inspire their futures.”

In addition to the Bluetooth speaker kits, Rockler donated important tools and equipment to the school including high-quality walnut and maple to build out the speakers, dowels, doweling jigs and drill bits needed for assembly.

“I loved working on the Bluetooth speaker project and having the opportunity to learn with quality tools,” says Simeon student Jalen Brown. “I’m really excited to pursue woodworking and carpentry and improve my skills through my classes at Simeon.”

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There are a few things to keep in mind. With a full-overlay situation like this one, you will want a slight space — a scant 1/16″ — between the back face of the door and the front edges of the cabinet carcass to allow the door to swing freely. You achieve that by slightly offsetting the location of the hinge leaf in the door.

First use a cutting gauge to scribe the long edges of the mortise and then a marking knife to cut the end of the mortise into the wood. On the door, you can use a router bit narrower than the hinge mortise (1/4″ for this 3/8″-wide mortise) to set the depth and remove some of the material.

Clamp the door between two pieces of plywood to provide a wider surface for guiding the router. A wood screw clamp is useful for stopping the router before it cuts beyond the end of the mortise. Then clean up the mortise with a 3/8″ chisel and a wider one.

To chop mortises into the edges of the cabinet, lay out the location again using a cutting gauge to ensure accuracy. The vertically chop a series of lines about 1 mm apart in the mortise with a 3/8″ chisel. Pare the chopped area away and clean up the edges with a wider chisel. Do this until the mortise is at the proper depth and fits the hinge leaf neatly. Attach the hinges to the door. (Use a steel screw to help tap threads for pilot holes if the hinges come with softer brass screws.)

Finally, slide the door and hinges into place to check its alignment. Then carefully open the door and fasten the hinge leaves to the edge of the cabinet to finish up the installation.

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The company claims 0 percent VOCs with no solvents, which is desirable for many woodworkers.

One Coat?

The hardwax oil does go on with one application, but there are caveats. First off, after sanding to 150-grit, you need to get rid of the sawdust. After vacuuming the swarf away, Rubio suggests using their Raw Wood Cleaner to remove the tiniest dust particles. Some woodworkers use mineral spirits as an alternative.

If you believe in raising the grain with water before finishing, now is the time to do it. When the wood dries, whisk off the raised grain with a synthetic pad.

You can apply Rubio Monocoat without using the hardener, but it will take about three weeks or more to fully cure (much like tung oil). Or, add one part hardener to two parts oil and mix them together well. Choose a section of your project that you can complete in about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the oil onto the wood surface and use a plastic spreader, synthetic scratchy pad or a rag to spread out the finish. A little oil will go a long way. Allow the oil to sit for about five minutes and then buff the oil into the wood. When that’s done, remove any extra oil with a soft, clean, lint-free cloth.

Rubio Monocoat dries to a very low-luster finish that feels smooth and silky. It’s formulated in 50 different colors, including one that’s basically a clear coat.

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Within this alliance, Bosch AMPShare-branded 18-volt batteries will power Bosch tools along with select tools made by FEIN Power Tools US, Rothenberger USA and 12 other brands. Those include HONSEL, Ledlenser, Mato, Medmix Cox and MK, Orgapack and Signode, PerfectPro, Steinel, Bosch Rexroth Corp, Titan and Wagner.

This AMPShare platform launched in the EU in 2022.

Bosch explains that AMPShare — Powered by Bosch batteries are rebranded CORE18V batteries that deliver optimal power-to-weight ratio, high-power performance and COOLPACK 2.0 heat management technology. It’s a platform that has proven itself among professional power tool users for a number of years.

Many Tools, One Battery

Alliance partner brands will be developing their cordless tools to use AMPShare batteries and chargers. Current Bosch power tool batteries and alliance products are compatible with the AMPShare battery, as well as future Bosch power tools.

As a couple of examples, the AMPShare battery system is compatible with FEIN MULTIMASTER 500 and 700 oscillating multitools to start, with additional FEIN tools coming soon. The third founding partner, Rothenberger, will off er AMPShare compatibility on select battery-powered products including its press tool, bending tool and vacuum pump in 2024.

While many of these alliance brands are trade-specific, and hobbyist woodworkers might not immediately benefit from AMPShare — Powered by Bosch initiatives, the effort to shift the cordless tool industry away from proprietary batteries and chargers, as well as a willingness to foster compatibility across brands, is commendable. It will be interesting to see if and how these developments influence other major power tool brands in the years to come.

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