David Frane
David Frane is the Editor of Tools of the Trade. You can reach him at dfrane@hanleywood.com
I don't know anyone who will ever see, much less operate one of these machines, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to watch. If you're technically oriented you'll want to watch the entire thing. For those of you who are in a hurry, I recommend watching the part about drilling (:20 to 3:10) and then the part about installing the concrete lining (5:25 to 7:25).
Jesse Wright
Jesse Wright is a finish carpenter and architectural woodworker for Architectural Molding in Concord, Calif. He learned the trade from his father and has spent the last few years studying historical architectural details and design.
Last summer I built a set of craftsman style carriage doors for my house and decided to use mortise and tenon joints. I hadn't made this kind of joint before so I asked my friend, Gary Katz, how to go about cutting the deep mortises. He suggested using a lock mortising machine, a tool designed for cutting mortise locks into doors.
Michael Springer
Michael Springer has worked as a high-end remodeling contractor and is the former Executive Editor of Tools of the Trade.
No, not a wrestling federation, the IWF is the International Woodworking Fair, a trade show devoted to woodworking tools and shop equipment. I spent four days at the show and saw a lot of cool products; here are a few of my favorites...
Tim Uhler
Tim Uhler is a lead framer for Pioneer Builders in Port Orchard, Washington, and a Tools of the Trade contributing editor. He has been framing since his teens and has authored numerous technical articles and tool reviews for JLC and Tools of the Trade.
A few weeks back I wrote about Blaklader work pants, but I've also been wearing the company's Two Fisted Fleece Jacket. I prefer it to the regular fleece I used to wear because it's resistant to wind and water, and has a number of construction-specific features designed into it...
Greg DiBernardo
Greg DiBernardo is a contractor in Bergen County, NJ, and a contributing editor to Tools of the Trade. He owns and manages a pair of construction companies, Bergen Decks and Fine Home Improvements of Waldwick. In his spare time he's volunteer firefighter and tinkerer extraordinaire.
Several years back I was at the JLC LIVE trade show and an exhibitor was selling Scandinavian-designed work pants that had built-in sleeves for holding knee pads, waist-level pouches, and all kinds of specialized pockets.
Michael Davis
Michael Davis owns Framing Square Construction in Conifer, Colorado, and is a contributing editor to Tools of the Trade. He has been a framing contractor for more than 30 years and has worked on projects throughout the Western United States and Canada.
I've been testing tools for years and am on a lot of mailing lists, so new tools frequently arrive on my doorstep unannounced. Most of these tools end up gathering dust in my shop but a recent arrival from the Swanson Tool Company has earned a coveted spot in my tool belt...