All woodworking stories are – by definition – somewhat sappy. This one is even more so. The day I met Steve Shanesy I was a burned-out writer, designer and editor. I was managing a newspaper that was swirling around the rim of the toilet bowl. I was writing about politics – something I didn’t care … Read more
From how to get started with hand tools to mastering (and super-tuning) your handplane, this exclusive value pack has it all. Learn everything from designing and building a proper tool chest to sharpening a saw, to cutting a huge array of joints. Get top-notch instruction in sharpening, chisels, awls, marking knives, spokeshaves, planes and Read more
Today is Earth Day, but for the purposes of this article, I’m going to call it Dirt Day. As in dirt-simple woodworking techniques and jigs. We have a couple of perspectives, from two different woodworkers, up on our web site right now. One is from Christopher Schwarz, courtesy of Highland Woodworker TV. Chris uses a … Read more
One of the best things about getting older has been the fact that I can now do more woodworking tasks “by feel” than “by eye.” As my already-crappy eyesight has become dulled by middle age, I’ve found that my other senses – particularly my sense of touch – have become heightened. I cannot always see … Read more
Honestly, I’ve tuned so many dang metal planes in my lifetime that I’ll never worry about having enough iron in my diet. They might mine my carcass for the mineral when I’m dead. For me, it has always been an analog process: Do it by hand with inexpensive supplies. Today I spent the day tuning … Read more
Chuck Brock, host of The Highland Woodworker web TV show made to trip from sunny and warm Georgia to cold and snowing Cincinnati a few weeks ago, to film segments for upcoming episodes of the show. We’ve changed the name of the segment to “Popular Woodworking’s Tips, Tricks & Techniques,” because we wanted to include … Read more
I know, I know. The best thing to do when a blog post annoys me is to ignore it – after all, if I engage, I give the author credence and send more people to his or her site. Much better to let it quietly fade away (and be replaced on an almost-daily basis by … Read more
