Renaissance Woodworker Quickies: Adjusting a Mortise

I’m a sharer (that’s the 21st century way of saying a narcissist). Every time I’m in my shop I find myself thinking about how that little thing I just did with a saw or plane or chisel might be a useful tip for someone out there in the woodworking community. Usually though in my overengineered and verbose concept of woodworking videos (see I’m doing it right now) I feel like I have to structure more around that little tip. So by the time I set up the camera and lighting, then mic up the clip loses its honesty then it never gets made at all.

That’s what today’s video is all about: honest, spur of the moment techniques and tips. Usually shot on my iphone and in real time. Today I’m showing an accurate way to enlarge a mortise. Tomorrow it could be a paring technique or sharpening or plane set up. These tips are less about the bigger task but more about the tiny little elements that make up everything we do in our shops. Hopefully somewhere in this you can find something to use in your own shops.

I need your help

While I’m going to keep these quick tips in the same video feed and YouTube channel I need a title for this new segment. Renaissance Quickies just doesn’t convey the message I want to give (unless you like that Brady Bunch kind of innuendo). So I’m asking you to help me name this segment. Please use the comments below to submit your title ideas. Heck if you are feeling really industrious draw up a logo for the opening splash page with your title idea.

Of course we all win with new woodworking tips but I will also be awarding prizes to people who submit title ideasa not only to the winning title but also to people just because they showed up and participated. Let’s just say I have some extra tools and videos and books floating around that need good homes. I’ll go out on a limb now and say I have at least 10 prizes to give away but if the response is strong I could be convinced to award more. Submit your ideas between now and June 20th to be considered for this initial prize bonanza.

But Wait! There’s More

Going forward I will also award one prize with every tip I publish.
(I have a lot of stuff to give away and possibly more if some deals I have in the works comes to fruition)

Think of this like those “best tip” columns in your favorite woodworking magazine. You submit an idea or question that I produce and you will win something for your contribution.

So let’s get a name for this new segment so I can start publishing tips and awarding prizes

Congratulations to…

Jeff Burrus for his winning title, “Chips N Tips”! Considering how many gallons of salsa and bags of chips I consume each year this seemed appropriate. Jeff picked up a couple of nice things off my prize list and I’ll be publishing the first “official” Chips N Tips episode soon.