A Big Welbeck Welcome

For over 100 years Welbeck Sawmill has been a hub in the Durham community.  For the past 10 years they have been hosting their very own, in house "Wood Expo".   The Welbeck Wood Expo is known as an exclusive event that the sawmill puts on for it's customers and the greater wood working community.  Our local customers have told us how enjoyable it is, and they have no issues at all with driving 4 hours to attend.  After hearing the stories, we were honoured to have been invited for the first time this year.  Suffice it to say, Welbeck exceeded it's expectations.  We were welcomed with open arms and were able to catch up with customers we haven't seen in years, since the last Durham Wood Show in 2001.

One of the biggest surprises for us was how many new faces we met, and how many of them had never seen our Flatmaster or Little Ripper before.  The store itself is very nice & very well stocked with a wide selection of woodworking tools  - Canadian lumber being their specialty.  Great staff too!  The store is literally in the middle of nowhere, so if you decide to visit be prepared for some good old fashioned country road driving.

In true Paul form, when I asked him what the highlight of the show was, he told me "The sausages were amazing and the tarts were to die for!"  I think he also very much appreciated catching up with fellow vendors from shows gone by.  Was great to catch up with our long lost friends like  Kreg's "Bald Eagle" Mark Eaton, Ralph Swan the Minwax Man, and many others.

Interestingly enough, Durham is the home of the very first Canadian Wood Show which had it's debut 30 years ago. It was great to be back in this area which has such deep roots in the Woodworking Industry.  We are looking forward to attending again in 2014 - bring on the sausages & tarts!

Next stop - Waco, TX for SWAT.  August 23, 24, 25 2013.

Sanding Mops - Which Mop for Which Purpose?

The Sanding Mop used to just be "The Sanding Mop" but over the years, it has evolved into several distinct versions of itself - The Regular Mop, The Fluffy Mop and The Double Mop.  Each Mop comes with different parts and is designed for a different purpose.  Each kit can be modified slightly, depending on what you would like to do.  I always like to tell people that it's like any new tool...you need to play with it a little bit to see how it will work best for you.

The Regular Mop

This mop tends to be a little more aggressive.  Stabilizers sit on the outside of the sheets, just like the bread on a sandwich.  They keep the sheets tight together allowing the edge of the mop to be more controlled and to make it slightly more aggressive.  This makes The Regular Mop perfect for routered edges.  The stabilizers can be removed in order to make it more flexible and a few spacers can be placed between the sheets for even more flexibility.  When assembled, The Regular mop is about 1" thick.

The Fluffy Mop

The Fluffy Mop comes with an extra long mandrel so that spacers can be placed between the sheets, causing the Mop to become "Fluffy".  A Fluffy Mop is most often used in 220 & 320g for deep profiles, assembled raised panel doors and in-between coat sanding.   When assembled, The Fluffy Mop is about 3-1/2" long.

The Double Mop

Essentially, The Double Mop is a Regular Mop that comes with double the amount sandpaper and a longer mandrel.  It's designed for larger pieces that require slightly more aggression.  When assembled, the Double Mop is approx. 3-1/2" long.





My personal  favourite style is a Regular Mop set-up without stabilizers.  I used one to prepare the old trim in our 130 year old farmhouse for painting.  It did a great job!  The Crazy Canadian Woodworker prefers his for "exfoliating".

What's your favourite style?