Popular Woodworking 2002-08 № 129, страница 32
The Unisaw in the prep area has a crosscut sled and, when needed, a traditional Unifence.The saw is on a mobile base so students can move it to work with longer or wider work pieces.A drum sander offers an affordable way to surface even highly figured woods such as curly maple. Notice that the central dust-collection piping is carefully tucked in out-of-the-way places for efficient use. The ground floor work area features one of the classic Conover lathes. I also noted some Nova lathes. Eight-inch bench grinders help students master the art of quick and easy sharpening.The anti-fatigue mats make working on concrete much more comfortable.Ample widows and many banks of lights provide great illumination that leads to less eye strain and better work. Delta tools, including a Unisaw, band saw and drill press. There's also the standard complement of small power tools. Conover has perfected crosscutting jigs that produce flawless work on the table saw. He has experimented with a number of high-quality table saw blades and has settled on CMT blades. Tool chests (handmade of course) housing razor-sharp chisels, are located in strategic locations throughout the shop area. Conover has studied many different woodworking traditions and embraces them all for their various strengths. But for sharpening bench chisels he prefers using traditional Japanese waterstones. Just one of Conover's gifts is the ability to sharpen any tool to perfection. He uses every imaginable sharpening tool, yet he prefers using an 8" grinder with the Wolverine-brand grinding jig system to sharpen lathe chisels. He hones all his spindle turning tools, but he prefers to leave a burr (a fine wire curl) on the edge of all faceplate lathe chisels, including some scrapers that can be used for both styles of turning. The woodshop barn is as comfortable as an old hat. The smell of years of woodworking wafts into every niche. Throughout the years, the barn has accumulated jigs and fixtures for cutting every imaginable dovetail. In the third-story storage loft are woodworking contraptions that only a fellow tinkerer could understand. Mortising jigs, finger-joint fixtures, cast-iron workbench legs.. .stuff every woodworker would love to have. Perhaps his secret to making this barn so productive is the fact that a second storage barn (much smaller) is linked by a crane to his main barn. When he needs something special he just hoists it into the main barn. It looks like he has enough stationary equipment in the spare barn to sink a ship. Most shops like Conover's tend to have wood and lumber jammed into every corner. Not here. Conover stocks carefully. I saw only about 1,000 board feet of wood, neatly stored. That's it. When asked, he said that he provides wood for featured projects, but also wants students to feel free to bring their own lumber. Figured hard maple, cherry and walnut are his most frequently used woods. One interesting addition in 2002 will be the timber-frame post-and-beam "L"-shaped wing that the Conovers are adding to the main barn. This space is going to be built with traditional mortise-and-tenon hand-cut joints. Conover will use this addition to house a fine collection of metalworking tools, which he inherited from his father, who is one of the most inventive men that I have had the good fortune to meet. It's fair to say Conover is a chip off the old block. During his three decades of woodworking, Conover has made just about every style of furniture. He has a keen eye for design but prefers to focus on the joy of the woodworking process and sharing that process with his students. I get the impression that there is nothing in the world Conover would rather do than to be working with people who have a passion for woodworking. Maybe that is why he is constantly grinning like a child in a candy store. Maybe that's what makes him a good teacher. PW AMERICAN WOODSHOPS Woodworkers love to see the shops of other wood-workers.And few people see as many notable shops as Scott Phillips, host of PBS' "The American Woodshop." In every issue of Popular Woodworking, Phillips takes you inside the shops of some of the finest craftsmen (and women) in America.You will be able to see more about Conover Workshops in the 2003 season of "The American Woodshop"on your local PBS station. Or you can visit Woodcraft Supply (www.woodcraft.com) to purchase a videotape of any of "The American Woodshop" programs. ONE-ON-ONE CLASSES Conover also offers private instruction for individuals who want one-on-one attention.And recently added to the school's program is a scholarship fund for individuals who cannot afford to attend the program. To apply for the scholarship, send a letter detailing your need for a scholarship and desire to perpetuate the craft of woodworking to: Conover Workshop Scholarship Fund, 23240 Sageland Drive, Ramona, CA 92065. No phone calls or e-mails please. |
