Featured Classes
Saturday, July 7
9am-5pm
Tuition: $95
Hands-On Workshop
Item# 991547
Sunday, July 8
10am to 4pm
Tuition: $95
Hands-On Workshop
Item# 991548
Saturday, July 14
9am to 4pm
Tuition: $95
Class Size: 8
Hands-On Workshop
Item# 991561
Saturday & Sunday
July 28 & 29
9am to 5pm
Tuition: $195
Class Size: 8
Hands-On Workshop
Item# 991562
Alan Noel's Finishing Corner
At First Blush
With the way things are going here in the Southeast, with virtually no humidity in the air, no rain, and temperatures on the rise, applying most any finish in this environment should go very smoothly without any drying problems. Usually though, heat and humidity can cause a few problems. Such as when finishing materials like shellac or brushing lacquer dry too fast and do not flow out smoothly; or varnish dries slowly and unevenly when the humidity is very high and there is virtually no air movement; or worst of all, blushing. Here are some tips to help with these problems.
Chris Higdon: Extraordinary Writing Instruments
To say Chris Higdon is a pen turner would be a gross understatement. Chris has taken the art of turning pens to its highest level, crafting exquisite writing instruments from beautifully figured woods. His elegant, limited edition pens are sold in high-end gift shops and galleries and are owned by politicans, businessmen, and pen collectors around the world.
A longtime Highland Woodworking customer, Chris visits our store at least once a week, often popping in around lunch time to chat with Phil Colson about the latest turning tool. After visiting his website and seeing his exceptional work, we were anxious to learn about his woodturning experience. Chris generously took the time to talk to us one afternoon before the monthly Georgia Association of Woodturners meeting.
View a gallery of Chris's work
Ask the Staff
E-mail us with your woodworking or finishing questions. Selected questions will be answered in future issues. If your question is selected for publication, we'll send you a free Highland Hardware hat.
Question: I have built a set of Adirondack chairs out of oak as a housewarming gift for my daughter. What is the best finish to apply so the furniture will hold up outdoors? The chairs are for her deck and will get almost full exposure to the sun and elements.
Employee Contribution
Festool Comes to Highland and Highland Goes to Festool
by Phil Colson
We were fortunate to have Dan Durant of Festool on hand demonstrating the impressive line of Festool tools during the Highland Woodworking Spring Tool Sale on May 5th. Then recently on a trip to see my daughter who is studying in Germany, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the Festool factory. Festool is a world-renowned tool manufacturer known for its high quality, precision and reliability. The factory is located in Wendlingen, a beautiful small town south of Stuttgart. Mr. Raichle, a representative for Festool, greeted us and kindly gave us a complete tour of the factory.
Reader Contribution
A Little Useful Shop Math
by Richard McCandless
My son is a high school teacher. When I told him I'd used high school math to solve a common woodworking problem, he asked for an explanation. After all, he said, his subject is history!
He suggested I write a simple-English explanation of the math involved. He's sure lots of other people won't remember their school math any better than he, and I suspect he's right. So, with thanks to him, here is a useful math review.
Hot New Item!
Rare Earth Magnets
$4.99 - $10.99
Neodymium-iron-boron is a fancy way to say super strong magnets. You and I know them as rare earth magnets. A single 1" magnet has more than 10 lbs of pull; two of them face-to-face are virtually inseparable. Smaller ones make fantastic door catches that can pull a twisted cabinet door straight and hold it closed. Use them to hold knockout bars to lathes, chuck keys to drill presses and blade wrenches to table saws. Rare earth magnets have innumerable applications on jigs, fixtures and hardware as well. Various sizes available in blocks, discs and spheres.
See our selection of Rare Earth Magnets
Tool Drive a Great Success!
The Atlanta Community ToolBank Tool Drive held during the Highland Woodworking One Day Sale was a huge success! Tools of every type were donated, from masonry tools to screwdrivers to cordless drills, as well as a variety of power tools including a biscuit joiner, portable planer, orbital sander, router, reciprocating saw, jig saw, tablesaw, scroll saw, bandsaw tile saw, chainsaw and pole saw! The TruServe warehouse here in Atlanta generously donated a brand new 5.75HP 16 gallon ShopVac with accessories that has already been borrowed by a local nonprofit for use in a community project. Most of the donated tools have been integrated into the Tool Lending Library’s inventory, and the others have been put aside for the ToolBank Tool Sweep, which will raise funds for ToolBank programs.
Highland Woodworking will continue to work with the ToolBank, hosting tool drives during Spring and Fall One Day Sales, and plans are in the works for the store to be a standing collection site for ToolBank donations. Details coming soon!
Saturday Mornings at Highland Summer Schedule
In February we began our Saturday Mornings at Highland educational program, a series of free woodworking demonstrations every Saturday morning in our retail store in Atlanta. The response has been incredible, with close to two dozen attendees for some of the events and several demos lasting over two hours!
Our upcoming summer schedule features demos on sharpening, flyrods, woodburning, lap joints, timberframing and more. If you happen to be in the area, join us for this amazing opportunity to expand your skills and explore new woodworking techniques. Everyone is welcome to drop in – these demonstrations are free!
If you have an interesting technique or project you'd like to share with the woodworking community during one of our Saturday morning events, please e-mail us.
Saturday Mornings at Highland Schedule
Directions to Our Store