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Thanks to a mix-up between our company and our printer, the Spring 2009 issue of Woodworking Magazine has yet to mail to U.S. subscribers. (In an odd twist of fate, however, it did mail to our international subscribers.)

The issue will mail next week, according to our manufacturing department. As soon as it goes out, we’ll make an announcement here on the blog.

Our apologies for the delay. To tide you over until you receive your issue, I’ve posted one of the articles from the issue on two methods you can use to read the grain direction in a board. One of the techniques is well-known. The other rarely gets mentioned , but it’s the one I use the most.

You can download the article by clicking the link below.

WM_Grain_Direction.pdf (1.37 MB)

Thanks for your patience.

– Christopher Schwarz


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Showing 11 comments
  • Christopher Schwarz

    This issue is cursed. I’ll be posting details on the blog today. The issue is now in the mailstream. I hope it makes it to you next week.

    Chris

  • Brian

    "I’m told that the issue mailed Saturday. We’re still waiting for double confirmation."

    Hmmm, been 12 days … still waiting here in California.

  • Christopher Schwarz

    I’m told that the issue mailed Saturday. We’re still waiting for double confirmation.

    Chris

  • Patrick Secord

    Like a certain Tea commercial, "Only in Canada, you say. Pity!"

    Patrick In Toronto,
    with an already dogeared Spring 2009 copy.

  • Rob Porcaro

    Chris,

    Thanks for the article. For years I’ve used Bruce Hoadley’s mnemonic for planing direction: Pith side – with the Points, Barkside – Backwards.

    Your explanation of twisted grain was very helpful to me as it gives a good mind’s eye picture of what’s going on.

    Also, sometimes the figure lines don’t conform with the actual fiber direction, in which case it’s helpful to look at the direction of any visible rays, actually the ends of the rays. This is occassionally an issue when planing a quartered or rift face. The rays never cross over fibers, they’re between them.

    Yea, this grain issue isn’t as simple as it might seem at first. Thanks.

    Rob

  • Jerry

    Thanks for the free article on reading grain direction, I just bought the magazine from a local woodworking store, that was the article that pushed me over to buying the issue instead of walking on. 😉
    In all fairness I stopped counting at over 10 free articles (I didn’t really count) I’ve downloaded from stopping by this and PW’s blog.
    Should this have been posted under woodworking pet peeves? ummm like paying for something when its free……..

  • Samson

    I bought one at the bookstore figuring that my sub had expired and I had spaced on renewing in time or something. Anyway, great issue. Two questions:

    1. Do you think you will ever have any guest authors for upcoming articles. No offense to you all, but it might be fun to hear from a special guest once in a while.

    2. On the dry sink you use nails and white pine etc etc., but you draw the line at authentic paint???! Get thee some real MILK PAINt, sir. For shame. 😉

  • Christopher Schwarz

    Yeah, Canada got theirs. We’re just making amends now for the French-Indian War thing.

    Chris

  • Paul Kierstead

    Yeah, and here I was pretty sure Canada was in NA as well. Got it here too.

  • Chris F

    Does Canada not count as North America? I’ve got my issue already…

  • Bill Satko

    I was beginning to think the postman was too busy reading my issue to deliver it.

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