About The Tools
John Walker: "Over the years I have accumulated a collection of machines to make the wood shop I have today. I became interested in wood working when I took my first wood shop class in high school. I bought my first machine in 1970 and it was a Sears Bench Saw. Little did I know I would become the wood shop teacher of the shop that I learned how to work with wood. Today, I use a set of machines which allow me to make the benches I've always wished to make."
Machines Used:
1920's Ireland sawmill to cut logs into workable pieces
1920 Porter 24" joiner to joint faces
1987 Northfield 25" planer to to make top and bottom surfaces parallel
1930's Blount lathe to make 1 3/8" dowels for benches
1947 Walker Turner drill press to bore holes into table tops and legs
1933 Yates American 16" table saw with a sliding table to cut the 15 degree angle on the legs.
Types of Wood Used:
Walkers' Sawmill uses a wide variety of lumber natural to the upper Hudson Valley such as: Knotty Eastern White Pine, Wormy Ash and Ash, Black Walnut, Cherry, Catalpa, Hard Rock Maple, Poplar, Red Cedar, Butternut, Red and White Oak.
