Popular Woodworking Magazine » August 2011 #191

I Can Do That: Lap Desk

Article Index — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:37:47 +0000

From the August 2011 issue #191 Buy this issue now Portable productivity with a nod to steampunk style. By Mag Ruffman The glorious thing about being self-sufficient is that you can usually figure out ways to create what you need. My latest need arose after a bad case of Burning Thighs Syndrome, a malady caused … Read more »

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Spicy Pennsylvania Box

Article Index — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:02:09 +0000

Behind a distinctive double-arched door are unknowns and secrets.By Glen D. Huey Pages: 26 -33While surfing the Internet for examples of spice boxes, I stumbled upon an antique box with a distinctive door. While I’m familiar with arched-door boxes, a double-arched door, at least to my knowledge, is something not often seen.VIDEO: See how to size the drawer parts from the drawer fronts. MODEL: Click here for the Google SketchUp Model of the Spice Box. ARTICLE: Read about the best and worst qualities of premium dovetail saws. BLOG: Develop your own ogee bracket feet design using Google SketchUp. TO BUY: Discover advanced dovetail techniques with Charles Bender. IN OUR STORE: Learn in-depth finishing techniques with “Finishes That Pop.” Read more »

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Flexner on Finishing: Refinishing Furniture

Article Index — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:47:32 +0000

Stripper types. There are five categories of strippers. From left to right: high-percentage methylene chloride, low-percentage methylene chloride, strong solvent and no methylene chloride, refinisher (no methylene chloride and no wax), and NMP (n-methyl pyrrolidone). Repair, strip and refinish to restore old pieces. By Bob Flexner Pages: 58-60 From the August 2011 issue #191 Buy … Read more »

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Video: Secret Compartments & Spice Box Drawers

Glen D. Huey — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:20:36 +0000

From the August 2011 issue #191 Buy this issue now The August 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine is making its way to subscribers (it will be on bookstore racks in a few weeks). As a result, I’m beginning to get questions about the Spice Box drawer layout and construction, as well as the secret … Read more »

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How to Make ‘Condor Tails’

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:17:21 +0000

An ingenious way to combine routers, a band saw and hand tools for big dovetails.By Jameel Abraham Pages: 48-53I know what you’re thinking: “Another opinion on how to cut dovetails.” I hear you. But this one’s different. I promise. No back and forth over pins or tails first. No Rob Cosman vs. Frank Klausz. Well, actually a little Klausz.SLIDESHOW: See a slideshow of this process with additional steps. ARTICLE: Read a review of the Benchcrafted vise hardware. WEB SITE: Visit Jameel’s web site for ouds and workbenches. TO BUY: “Dovetail Mastery” with Charles Bender. IN OUR STORE: “The Workbench Design Book” by Christopher Schwarz. Read more »

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A Bright Idea

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:02:18 +0000

This light bulb-shaped lamp requires a little plywood (plus a little geometry) to make it look just brilliant.By Christopher Schwarz Pages:46-47For me, one of the most perfect shapes ever designed is the general-purpose incandescent light bulb. While some people use the word “mushroom” to describe its profile, I’ve never seen a fungus with such sinuous and perfect curves.VIDEO: See how to cut and sand the round discs – no jigs. MODEL: Click here for the SketchUp model of the Light Bulb Lamp. WEB SITE: See the RISD project that inspired this design. BLOG: Read how hand-tool skills helped with these power-tool operations. TO BUY: “Making Japanese-Style Lamps and Lanterns” by Edward R. Turner. IN OUR STORE: “Boxes, Clocks, Lamps, and Small Projects.” Read more »

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Tai Chi & Woodworking

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:47:11 +0000

Balance, concentration and the quest for the easy way to work.By Robert W. Lang Pages: 42-45You wouldn’t expect a Welsh chair bodger who’s teaching how to build a stick chair to mention a Chinese martial art in relation to using a jack plane. And you wouldn’t expect the student to get the connection, see the truth in it and relate that to most good techniques in woodworking.VIDEO: Learn tai chi from online videos. ARTICLE: Read on our editors’ blog about preventing pain in your feet. WEB SITE: Visit the Mayo Clinic web site to learn about the benefits of tai chi. TO BUY: “Exercises in Woodworking” shows you good form for working smart. Read more »

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Coffee with the Brethren

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:30:44 +0000

Build a Shaker-inspired coffee table with through-drawers.By Megan Fitzpatrick Pages: 38-41Coffee tables didn’t exist as a furniture form until the 1920s (when they were known as cocktail tables). So while there is no true Shaker coffee table, I needed a table to put in front of my couch that would work well with the other Shaker-influenced furniture in my living room. And to my mind, that’s one of the best things about being a woodworker – the ability to design and make exactly what you want. So that’s what I did.ARTICLE: Read "Four Good Ways to Make Drawers." ARTICLE: The article for the bookcase that goes with this table is available on our web site, free. BLOG: Read about making these drawers. MODEL: Click here for the SketchUp model of the Shaker-inspired Coffee Table. TO BUY: The article on the matching Shaker stepback can be downloaded from our store. IN OUR STORE: If you like the Shaker style, get “Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture.” Read more »

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If the Tool Fits…

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:15:01 +0000

Tools sized to the user lead to more efficient and comfortable work.By Ron Herman Pages: 34-37One of the first things I do with new employees is fit them to a handsaw. And as a woodworker, fitting tools to yourself is one of the first things you should do, too. Why? If a tool is uncomfortable to use, you won’t practice using it – and if you don’t practice, you can’t master a tool or technique. Instead, you’ll look for alternate ways to do the chore. And even if you’ve already mastered a tool, the easier and more comfortable it is to use, the more precise you’ll be. It’s like anything else – if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work.SLIDE SHOW: Take a tour of Ron’s shop. SLIDE SHOW: Take a tour of Ron’s shop. BLOG: If you have questions about the proper size of a bench, read Editor Chris Schwarz’s blog. TO BUY: Ron has sharpened thousands of hand saws. And you can learn how he does it with a new DVD: “Sharpen Your Handsaws with Ron Herman.” IN OUR STORE: Get “The Joinery Challenge with Ron Herman” DVD. Read more »

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Royal Flooring in Appalachia

Article Index — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:35:41 +0000

Paris parquet finds a new home in a rural Virginia woodshop.By Don Williams Pages 54-55The convergent threads of life are sometimes amazing, coincidental things. My earliest and most important mentors in the restoration arts were Pop and Fred Schindler, the remarkable father and son of an eponymous shop, who first introduced me to Monsieur André Roubo nearly 40 years ago. Their roles in shaping me as an artisan cannot be overstated.BLOG: Editor Christopher Schwarz has written a lot about the Roubo workbench – find all the entries on his blog. WEB SITE: “L’Art du Menuisier” is available in the original 18th-century French on Google Books. TO BUY: Plate 11 of “L’Art du Menuisier” is available as a poster, suitable for framing. Read more »

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