New Product Alert: The EZ Chuck Hub

The EZ Chuck Hub is one of the first products developed solely by Ethan.  While attending many wood shows and turning symposiums Ethan began to see how complicated the process of mounting a bowl blank on a lathe really was.  He began to brainstorm and came up with the EZ Chuck Hub.

This basic yet helpful tool is a simple, straightforward way to mount a bowl blank onto a lathe.  The EZ Chuck hub has one center screw for mounting in the middle of your blank, and 4 additional holes and screws to add more support.  It's basically a face plate combined with a woodworm screw which can mount on to any 4 jaw chuck.  This piece saves what was once one very complicated step involving unmounting, remounting and mounting again.  This handy little device has a lot going for it! Check them out on our website.

EZ Chuck Hub mounted on a bowl blank.

New Product Alert: Sanding Swirls

Large Sanding Swirl

Sanding Swirls are one of the first products developed solely by Ethan.  These unique wheels come in two different sizes, are made from a flexible urethane material and designed specifically for sanding inside of vessels.  They work very similarly to the inflatable ball sanders on the market, but offer several distinct advantages.  First, the urethane on these sanders can be molded to change the profile, allowing for customization for your unique purpose or profile.  Also, unlike the refills for inflatable ball sanders which cost over $12 each, the refills for Sanding Swirls are extremely inexpensive.  The large size takes a standard 6" hook & loop disc which costs about 65 cents and the Small size take a standard 3" hook & loop disc which costs approx. 45 cents.  The Sanding Swirls can also be run in the reverse direction, allowing for one refill to be used twice, cutting the already low price in half! Initial testers of this new product have given it rave reviews.  No doubt about it, it's a wood turners must-have!  Check them out on our website!

Small Sanding Swirl

Our new Brand Name "Mastodon Tools"

One thing that was incredibly important to Paul was always having new products available.  He always said that customers weren't going to be happy unless they came to the show and saw something that they didn't see the previous year.  Every year, without fail he would design something new, intriguing and sometimes controversial.  Now, with Paul gone,  Ethan is stepping into his place and continuing to design new tools. All of this means we have a lot of "Stockroom Supply" tools.  In one of our many summer brainstorming sessions it was decided that Stockroom Supply needed a brand, an umbrella under which to place all of our innovative products, past and future.  That's how Mastodon Tools was born.  You're probably wondering, why Mastodon Tools or possibly what is a Mastodon?    These are GREAT questions!

Did you know there are virtually no dinosaur bones found in Ontario...except for mastodon bones which are found throughout.  In fact the most complete mastodon skeleton ever unearthed was located just 3km from where Stockroom Supply originated.  This skeleton is now on display in the Royal Ontario Museum.   The Canada, Ontario, Wainfleet and even stronger neighborhood connection made the Mastodon the clear choice as our new mascot.  Click HERE for one of the stories which inspired us.

The picture above is still just a draft of what our final logo will be.  We do know our mascot will have just one tusk, to match the one found near us (pictured below).

One tusked Mastondon now displayed at ROM

The tools which will be placed under the Mastodon Tools brand are The Flatmaster Sander & V-Drum Kits, The Little Ripper & Round Ripper, The Moulding Sander, Sanding Swirls, EZ Chuck Hub, with more in the works.

Watch for Mastodon Tools online, and at your local woodshow.

The Story Behind "The Big Reveal"

As it is widely known, our patriarch, the founder of Stockroom Supply and inventor of all of our innovative products, Paul Moore passed away in December '13.  His diagnosis came exactly a year ago, hitting us like a brick wall and rendering us completely unprepared for the Woodworking Season ahead.  We had to make a hasty decision on whether to continue with our plans to attend the wood shows, or take a year off.  We decided to push forward.  Ethan stepped up to the plate, attending the shows every weekend and coming home to help take care of our father during the week.  After a 4 month battle with brain cancer, my dad passed away December 28th.  Needless to say we were devastated, but as with many small family businesses we had to look ahead.  We continued with the show season until April, wind knocked out of our sails, but determined to stay innovative and relevant within the woodworking industry.  Which leads us to "The Big Reveal"...

When the show season was completed, we took some time to catch our breath and once we felt sufficiently recovered we began to re-evaluate our business, gather ideas and start planning for our future.  Ethan even began to get his creative juices flowing and new products were beginning to take shape.  After several discussions and brain storming sessions we came to realize that Stockroom Supply still had MUCH to offer, despite the loss of our head honcho.  The decision was made to have an Open House, to invite family, friends and customers to share with us as we celebrated our "Big Reveals".  This Open House was a step in our grieving process, a chance to celebrate our survival through a difficult year and most importantly a way to honor our father.  And so, without further adieu we give to you our several "Big reveals"....

Rikon Tools - We are proud to announce we are officially Ontario's first and only Rikon dealer in Ontario.  Rikon carries a wide selection of top quality machinery for great prices.  Come see the 14" Deluxe Bandsaw, 10" Bandsaw, Mini Lathe and Dust Extractor in our showroom.  More machinery coming soon!  Will be available on our website shortly.

Sanding Swirls - Flexible sanders made from urethane designed to sand inside of bowls.  These flexible sanders use standard 6" & 3" hook & loop discs.  A wood turners must-have! Now available on our website!

Small Sanding Swirl

EZ Chuck Hub - This handy little product simplifies mounting a bowl blank onto a lathe.  Now available on our website!

EZ Chuck Hub mounted on bowl blank

Cupped & Globe Mops - 2 new Sanding Mop Kits have been added to our popular lineup!  Now available on our website!

Cupped Mop

Woodline Turning Tools - A new line of wood turning tools and longworth chucks for our Canadian customers.  Great quality, great prices! Coming to our website soon!

 Our Biggest reveal of all...

Mastodon Tools -  We have decided to brand our tools!  You will now find all of Stockroom Supply's past & future innovative woodworking tools under the same brand name, Mastadon Tools.  Why Mastadon Tools?  Find out HERE

Unveiling of Mastodon Tools.  Not final draft of logo.

Thanks to all who came out to support us that night, thanks to all who supported us through our difficult year last year, and thanks to everyone for your continued support as Stockroom Supply looks towards the future!

 

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?

Round Ripper - Cutting Bowl Blanks

Truth: The Round Ripper was born out of fear - a fear Paul had that someone was going to cut off their fingers in the middle of his booth!

While attending wood shows with The Little Ripper, turners would regularly stop by our booth to have their logs sliced in half.  Once cut in half they would inevitably want to knock the corners off using a bandsaw to prepare them for turning.  Paul & Ethan proceeded to watch turner after turner feed wood through their bandsaw, putting their hands in very dangerous situations.  After witnessing one too many turners almost
severely injure themselves, Paul had to stop allowing others to use his bandsaw.  He couldn't bear to watch the dangerous fashion in which they were knocking the corners off their turning stock.  In that moment Paul said to Ethan - "When we get home, we're going to come up with something safer for these guys!" Shortly thereafter the Round Ripper was born.

The Round Ripper was introduced at the AAW in St. Paul, MN, 2011.  The first reaction was a little unexpected.  Thursday, during set-up wood turners would stop by to check out this bright yellow new tool.  Once finding out it's purpose, they would say to Paul  "Turners don't need this. We turn our stock round".  Not being one who worries too much about what others think, Paul continued to set-up as wood turners cast off his latest idea.  On Friday morning something very interesting took place - The professional demo guys, the one's who would be giving seminars throughout the weekend, lined up to have their stock cut round by Paul and his new circle cutter.  Finally Paul asked one of them "Yesterday none of the turners were interested in this.  How come today you guys are lined up to have your bowl blanks cut?"  The demonstrator's response...."What idiot would turn a square piece round when he could just cut it?"  It didn't take long for others to follow suit.  Today the biggest application of The Round Ripper is (safely) cutting bowl blanks.

John Long, a loyal customer and avid user of our Round Ripper cut these blanks shortly after getting his Round Ripper .
 "Setting up the circle cutter took about an hour and I cut some very nice bowl blanks. They were near maximum size and thickness from lemon eucalyptus which is a very hard wood but turning nicely. I could hardly believe how easy it was. Turning the knob with one hand, I found that I had to be careful not to turn the knob too fast. Thanks again for all you help." -John Long

John was also in charge of cutting bowl blanks for all of the international demonstrators at this years AAW in Tampa.  Pictured here is Glenn Lucas, using one of John's blanks to turn a bowl.




Come check out the Round Ripper and our other innovative wood working tools at a local wood show!