For this convenience, we can tip our hats to three generations of the Wagner family who have helped make it possible: Delmer, who founded Wagner Meters in 1965, his son Ed, who’s been its president and CEO for nearly three decades, and now Delmer’s grandson Eric, who manages the company’s marketing and social media channels. This year, the Wagner family and its employees have celebrated a half century of serving the woodworking, wood products and wood flooring industries with metering tools.

To mark the occasion, the Rogue River, Oregon-based company held a commemorative giveaway of 50 anniversary T-shirts and one grand prize package tailored to a flooring installer, woodworker, building inspector or sawmill and forest products professional. The award included an application-specific Wagner meter and accessories for it, a Wagner thermo-hygrometer and a special 5-lb. commemorative chocolate bar in a 50^th anniversary wrapper.

“It’s hard to believe that (our company) has been in business for 50 years! And we’re still going strong, thanks to our many loyal customers engaged in woodworking,” Eric says.

But woodworkers actually weren’t Wagner’s first customers back in the mid-‘60s. At that time, Delmer — a former electrician for a Redmond sawmill — saw an opportunity to innovate the moisture detection equipment being used within the forest products industry. The contact moisture detectors of the time “were in a cabinet the size of a man and came equipped with radio vacuum tubes. They were hard to use, hard to calibrate and hard to interpret,” Eric recalls.

Hearing management’s frustration with the limitations of that early technology, Delmer started experimenting to find a better solution. Working out of his garage, he developed the first in-line moisture meter that used transistors rather than vacuum tubes. It was much smaller, more economical and easier to calibrate. The mill patented Delmer’s first design, and its success prompted him to continue innovating in the field of metering technology. Eventually, he formed his own moisture meter company: Wagner Electronics.

An evolution of that first Wagner transistorized moisture meter soon followed. It was smaller and improved in other ways. Delmer began marketing it to the sawmill industry at-large with an unbeatable warranty, Eric says. “Grandpa allowed them to use his detector for a month at no cost or obligation. They were to call him if they had a problem with it. Otherwise, he would return in 30 days to either pick it up or collect payment.”

The new meters were eagerly adopted by other lumber mills, and Wagner Electronics was off to a quick start.

“My grandfather’s vision and creative thinking led to our company’s success in those early years,” Eric says. “He seemed blessed with an amazing intuition that led him to create a slew of new and innovative products that greatly improved the way moisture is measured.”

Among them came the first non-contact moisture meter. It offered improved longevity over other options, since the sensor never touched the wood or suffered the resulting wear and tear. Delmer also pioneered an in-kiln moisture meter to help mills get the maximum value from their inventory. It enabled kiln operators to better evaluate the process of drying lumber, so wood would come out of the kiln neither too wet nor too dry. It reduced the cost and time lost to re-drying wood and prevented defects like cracking or warping from occurring, due to over-drying.

“That whole process of kiln troubleshooting with moisture meters … saved the mills hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Eric adds.

In 1967, Delmer’s son Ed began working for the company at just 10 years old, wiring, soldering and testing meters. Ed continued to learn the family trade through college, grounding his knowledge in all technical aspects of the business. He earned a degree in engineering and then became Wagner’s production manager. In 1987, when Delmer retired, Ed took the reins as majority stockholder and became Wagner Meter’s new president and CEO. He continues that tenure today.

“Dad is cut from the same cloth as his father when it comes to creating innovative products,” Eric says.

The capstone of Ed’s inventions was the handheld moisture meter. Developed in the early ‘80s but not marketed aggressively, Eric says his father’s design became a major growth opportunity for Wagner during the recession in the early ‘90s. It was a more economical alternative for lumber mills than the larger moisture metering equipment they could no longer afford.

Even through tough economic times, the lumber mills knew Wagner was still making their needs a priority. “Despite the recession, we had a meter that our customers needed and could afford. So we survived,” Eric says.

And, handheld meters offered Wagner another emerging customer base, too: hobbyist and professional woodworkers. A couple of decades ago, the only handheld moisture meter option available was the pin-style meter. A pair of sharp probes on these meters leave prick marks in the wood, and the technology offers only limited accuracy. Wagner developed and began to market a pinless option, which uses a sensor plate rather than pins to take deeper readings of moisture levels but without damaging the wood. At first, woodworkers were skeptical about the new design’s accuracy, but apprehension was dissolved by third-party testing, Eric says. Then, Wagner pinless meters were embraced by the woodworking community. “Tests showed our meters were not only more accurate than the best brands of pin meters, but (also) a lot easier to use,” he adds.

Many evolutions of pinless moisture meters have followed over the years, and today, Wagner offers the MMC220–its most popular model for woodworkers. Aside from taking fast, accurate moisture readings on dry wood surfaces, the MMC220 can also detect internal moisture content when wood surfaces are wet. “We can measure right through moisture, unlike other meters on the market. Their readings are skewed much higher if even a trace of humidity or condensation is on the wood’s surface,” Eric says.

Designed, tested and assembled in the U.S., the MMC220 can evaluate moisture levels in all wood species, from exotics to domestics. It sells for $395, and the company backs it with a 7-year warranty. “We feel it’s priced competitively in light of its proven accuracy, various features and overall high reliability and quality,” he adds.

But reliable, economical moisture meters are just part of Wagner’s commitment to woodworkers and its other wood products and wood flooring customer bases. Hand-in-hand with hardware, Eric says, is Wagner’s focus on education.

“We accomplish this using a variety of means … articles for trade journals, newsletters and our website, producing free instructional videos, interacting with our customers through the Internet and our customer service representatives, and using social media … We’re currently making products that take advantage of the Internet, tablets, (smartphones) and apps, making it easier and more convenient to transfer, access and store data.”

Eric also recommends the company’s free WoodH2O app, which offers a variety of tools and resources for woodworkers. It’s available for both Android-based and iPhones. To download it, click here.

And, he says the company’s commitment to staying abreast of the latest technology will continue, as Wagner Meters plots its course for the next 50 years.

“Now, with everyone carrying a computer around in their pocket that is more sophisticated than what NASA originally used to get to the moon, it has given us even greater opportunities to develop still more useful and innovative devices … Wagner Meters will always be in the forefront, taking advantage of these advances by innovating, developing newer, more sophisticated products and reaching out to our customers in perhaps unheard-of ways,” Eric says.

Reflecting over a half century of Wagner’s family-owned, family-run business, Eric believes there are many reasons for the company’s success. Family values have always been at the core of its mission. Sustaining a culture of innovation and manufacturing reliable, quality products is also key. He credits the dedication, creativity and work ethic of Wagner’s employees, some of whom have worked for the company for between 20 and 30 years. But none of this would matter without the company’s commitment to serving customers and understanding their needs.

“On behalf of my grandpa (now retired), my father and the best employees anywhere, I want to thank our woodworking customers for their unwavering loyalty and trust in Wagner Meters over these many years. We greatly appreciate you and pledge to continue providing you with superior service and innovative products for our next 50 years, and beyond.”

Learn more about Wagner Meters by clicking here.

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Its motor design provides the consistent power needed to tackle finish-nailing applications, from baseboards and crown molding to cabinet and furniture assembly. The nailer will accept straight clips of 18-gauge brad nails ranging from 5/8- to 2-in. long, and its magazine will hold 100 nails at a time. It will drive up to 450 nails per charge with a 1.5Ah 20V MAX* battery installed, and that performance increases to 1,300 nails with a 4.0Ah battery.

Weighing 5.1 lbs. without a battery, this lightweight and balanced tool contains a rubber overmolded ergonomic handle to provide maximum comfort and control during use, plus a belt hook. For other features, it has a tool-free jam release, depth adjustment wheel and stall release lever. The stall release lever resets the driver blade after a nail jam to keep the tool up and running. Two LED lights illuminate work surfaces as well as blink to alert the user when the battery is nearing depletion or when the gun stalls or jams. Two no-mar rubber tips protect delicate nailing surfaces from being damaged during fastening, and a safety lock-off switch prevents accidental firing when storing or transporting the gun.

In kit form, the tool comes with a charger and 1.5Ah battery for $199. You’ll also be able to purchase the nailer without a charger or battery next month as model PCC790B for $149, if you already have other 20V MAX* tools and can share their batteries and charger.

See all of PORTER-CABLE’s 20V MAX* tools, and other options, by clicking here.

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The brass pins for this ¼-in. acrylic base screw into various threaded inserts to adapt it for a range of stock thicknesses up to 4 in. They also have nylon guide sleeves that rotate on the pins for smooth-sliding operation. The center hole in the base measures 1-1/4-in. in diameter, so it suits a full range of straight or spiral bit sizes.

Selling for $19.99, Rockler’s Compact Router Mortise Centering Base (item 57523) is pre-drilled to fit the mounting hole patterns of DeWALT, Porter-Cable and Bosch compact routers. Here’s an inexpensive item that could be worth adding to your woodworking wish list this holiday season.

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Tim Inman: Great question! Way back when I was a new teacher, the woodworking benches in my first school had vises mounted on the right-hand corners. Four vises per square bench/table. I learned to use these and really liked them. Any “off” work stuck out to my right and it was easy to make cuts, etc. (I’m right-handed, too.) The scrap dropped off away from the bench and my feet.

Then, I learned that most professionals had their vises on the left-hand end. In my new shop, the only place I could put my bench mandated that my vise had to go on the left-hand end. It was awkward at first. Like anything else, I learned to deal with it. Now, I prefer my vise on the left-hand end. All my tools are at hand on the bench and my right hand just naturally reaches out to get them. No crossover like I had when the vise was on the other end.

Long story short: As far as I’m concerned, you should put the vise where you want it to be. Call it the Justin Wilson Rule. He was the PBS “Cajun Cook” a long time ago, and his wine recommendation was always that you should “drink the kind of wine you like to drink” regardless of the conventional wisdom about red wine or white wine, etc. I know of no rule or reason that convincingly dictates that the vise should be on one end or the other. Sometimes custom and past practice can get in the way of progress, though. Tradition can be a hard thing to beat. Another option? Put a vise on both ends.

Chris Marshall: I’m a righty as well. With a vise mounted on the left, holding a plane in my right hand allows me to present it to wood clamped in the vise while keeping my right arm comfortably in line with the wood (and the bench on my right). If the vise were mounted on the right instead, you’d have to cross over yourself to still hold the plane as you normally would to line up the tool (the bench would be on your left). Or learn to plane with your left hand driving the tool, but I wouldn’t want to do that. This all presupposes you need to stand with the workbench to your side. If your preference is to stand facing the end of your bench and plane that way, rather than keep the bench to one side of your body or the other, you could mount the vise on the right instead. I like Tim’s idea here: put vises all around the bench. Then there’s one at the ready whatever your angle of attack may be. To stick with Tim’s analogy, we’ll just consider a bench with several vises to be a well-stocked wine cellar. Have fun building your new bench!

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-William Stumph

Crawfordsville, IN

See the Slideshow Below:

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Some readers admit that they have the aspiration, but not the reality. – Editor

“I’ve been a woodworker on/off for over 50 yrs. (a military career got in the way). I have made some but not enough to make a living … yet. As I enter retirement for a second time, I find myself wanting to create a small income stream using my shop. So, technically, I aspire to make a living from my shop. Like most of us, I have dreams of creating items that people want to wear or display because of its’ beauty.” – T. Baker

Some find that they have a greater enjoyment of the things they make when they are not doing so for pay. – Editor

“I am primarily a hobbyist woodworker, but on a couple occasions I have made products for people that wanted something in particular.  My experience has been that I far more enjoy making what I want to make and then giving it away to someone who will appreciate it.  When someone is paying me for a product, I tend to feel pressured to produce the product within a given timeframe, and I tend to over-work the project instead of doing a good job and leaving it at that.” – David Albrektson

“First of all, thank you for what you do. I really enjoy your emails. No, I do not think I could make a living in my shop.  I am a 21-year insurance agent and have built up a substantial client base. I have the pleasure of building things like birdhouses, bird feeders, and tissue box covers – often to give away to friends and clients. I guess if I had to dive in and make a living from the shop, I’d have to settle on some type(s) of furniture to build.” – Tim Harrelson

“I personally can make money when I build rocking horses, but I only sell half of them, and I donate the other half to fundraisers. So the answer is no. I do a lot of projects for friends that think I can make a living doing so, but the truth is I’m far better off with my real job and the benefits than I would be as a woodworker. You would need to be good at marketing if you are going to make a living at something as much fun as woodworking. I think my last commissioned piece made me about $5.58/hour, but it was fun and also for a friend.” – Mark Barry

“When asked if I make money from my woodworking, I always reply, ‘My woodworking is a nonprofit organization.’ I did not plan it that way, but
facts are facts. I also tell people that I have to sell my work to allow me to buy more materials to build more ‘things.’  My shop keeps me off the streets at the age of 69 and it gives me a good reason to get out of the house every day besides going to get breakfast with some friends. Thanks for the work you guys do for our ‘hobby.’” – Charles Buster

“I would like to make money doing it, but am perfectly happy not. I am a stay-at-home dad and disabled. So after cleaning and doing laundry and my other ‘house spouse’ duties, I enjoy getting in my basement shop and working what I can. I have built many things for others. I tend to do it for cost or slightly more than cost. Anything over cost is usually put into the gas tank for getting the materials or hardware and so on. It’s expensive enough to have someone custom build anything these days, then to charge a premium for the labor is something I have failed to do. With that being said, I never tried to sell myself to the folks that have enough money to pay for such. More power to those that can, but I’m not a salesman.

“Three years ago, I approached my daughter’s art teacher about making easels for the class. She declined that idea as she did not have a need for them. She did, however, need a place for storing paintings and other things to dry safely and out of the way. So I took on the task. A month later, I delivered four multi-shelf rolling units that roll under a wall-mounted counter and out of the way for storage and drying purposes. The last I heard, the teacher loved them and was getting great use out of them and even uses them as ‘rolling desks’ for her student teachers. This was the first time I built something and had the materials donated, and I felt a sense of reward and accomplishment that I have never felt after any other build. I hope I have the chance to do it again in the future.” – Kevin Hanes

“Thank you for fielding this reader’s question, and posing your own.  I enjoy the rewards of the craft for the satisfaction itself. Recently I have been asked by several friends and family to make items for them. I do have to say that I have had to stretch my skills and learn new techniques to accomplish some of these items. The learning has been rewarding in itself. I have spent the last couple of years with a mix of projects and do have to say that my greatest satisfaction has come from projects that I have worked on with my grandchildren. We have made toys, furniture, toolboxes, and more.” – Michael D. Thomas

Some readers did have businesses, and they had insight into the difficulties of making a profit. – Editor

“I sometimes do craft fairs, mostly low-end ones. I’m not a businessman, although I recognize that if I really wanted to make money, I’d have to go to the high-end fairs. Some of the high-end fairs have table fees in the hundreds of dollars or more, but command higher prices; as opposed to the lower-end fairs, where the table fees are under $100, but your prices have to be much lower. In either case, there is no guarantee you will even recoup the table fee.” – Barry Saltsberg

“I did two Christmas shows each of the last two years. I spent much of September, October, early November building ahead on things. I considered the shows a success, money wise; I was happy to have a good-sized wad of bills in my pocket at the end of the day. But when I sat down later, and looked at the amount of time I spent in the shop to get that money — I was lucky if I was making 3 or 4 bucks an hour.  Hard to pay for all that cast iron at that rate! Not to mention saw blades and sandpaper.  And I had a nice leg up, with a pretty good size pile of donated wood.

“I am sitting out this year, partly because it just doesn’t pay. I also have some health and family issues right now keeping me from the shop.  But I have noticed, on the things I have done as gifts for family and friends, that my workmanship is much better when I am making a trinket box for a friend, vs. just making one to sell.  Closely related to that, my enjoyment level is way up there when I am working to have a nice gift to hand a niece or nephew.

“I am fortunate I do not have to produce work to pay the bills; I would be in trouble if that were the case. I did notice my productivity was way better when I did not have to finish something (i.e., bird feeders, birdhouses, and bat houses were just raw cedar). The time spent finishing finer projects really eats into productivity.” – Dan Valleskey

Plus, some general business advice. – Editor

“I began woodworking out of sheer necessity. We bought a house that was approaching 200 years old and very much showing its age. As I honed my woodworking chops as a homeowner, I thought to bring in some cash by doing things for others. Repairing furniture was where I started.

“Making a living is not the same as earning money on the side. Besides that, quite a lot of water has gone over the dam since then and my age is starting to show, too. If I was 20 years younger, I’d still be too old to be starting a business. I have, however, gained some insights to the idea of going in business as a woodworker.

“First, you must have the skills. Having tools doesn’t make one a woodworker. If one has the skills and the tools, he/she is still a long way away from having a business. Starting out, there will be expenses. Many of them. So, capital must be there to cover the costs until the business can pay them. Which costs? Utilities including telephone, Internet (yes you should have internet), heating and cooling, plus food, clothing, housing, advertising, materials, expendables, finishes, fasteners, some kind of accounting software, licenses including sales taxes, permits and what have you.

“Just opening the garage door and hoping for business to come in just won’t do for most small businesses. Not considering these many things is a major reason many fail to make a living at whatever business they want to operate. I would strongly recommend YouTube as a way to promote oneself. These days having computer skills and knowing one’s way around the Internet are real assets. Even the most skilled and talented have a long period in which they grow the business. Often the best fail because they just can’t fill all the jobs themselves and can’t afford to hire them done. If one has a smart, ambitious and encouraging mate, the chances are better.

“As can be seen, most of what it takes to make a living in woodworking isn’t woodworking. A lot of us make extra money selling things in craft shows, even flea markets, but that doesn’t amount to making a living. Life demands more. That’s why most of us take a day job and then make the most of what’s left of our time and strength.”- Don Butler

Flat Box Advice

After last week’s eZine, we also heard from this reader with additional advice for the questioner who wanted to know “How Do I Fix a Drawer Box That Won’t Sit Flat?” – Editor

“I build a good number of band saw boxes and need to ‘reflat’ surfaces
sometimes.  I have a nice sized piece of painted surface fiber core board that was scrap from a messed up project, and I take some automotive spray adhesive and spray on the back of a sheet of automotive wet or dry 80-grit and glue it to the fiber board.  Then that big sanding block is clamped to the table saw table, and I then use the chalk method for making sure the box will sit flat.  Of course, finer grit can be used to remove sanding marks as needed.” – Charles Buster

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