Author Archive for Christopher Schwarz
Chris is a contributing editor to Popular Woodworking Magazine; he's a hand-tool enthusiast (though he uses power tools, too).
I Saw it. She Saw it. We all Saw it.
As instructors at woodworking classes, we spend most of our time sampling bon-bons and braiding each others hair while the students work away the last bits of their cartilage between their poor, overtaxed joints. Today was not so fun for the instructors. While the students merrily dovetailed away their carcasses at The Woodwright’s School, the Continue reading»
Build a Tool Chest at 'The Woodwright's School'
Monday's "Anarchist's Tool Chest" class "The Woodwright's School" was the first of five days of dovetailing. By the end of the week, everyone will be able to cut dovetails in their sleep. And we'll all be so tired that we might have to. Be sure to visit The Woodwright's School online. Click here to purchase Continue reading»
A Pause in the Hostilities
I finished yesterday fitting the three bottom drawers to the Campaign Secretary I’m building and I started in on building the gallery – it’s all dovetailed now. I’d be quite happy with my progress if I weren’t about to get into a car. For the next 10 days I’ll be on the road, taping a Continue reading»
Straight from the Frenchman's Mouth
Can we not agree that I am not of sound mind and body? Yup? OK, read on. Last year I commissioned blacksmith Peter Ross to make a holdfast for me that was made as close as possible to Andre Roubo’s instructions. Ross is quite familiar with Roubo, but I sent him a translation of the Continue reading»
Good Wood Species for Tool Chests
I’ve seen a lot of vintage tool chests in my travels, and most of them have been made of pine. What kind of pine? Hard to say. Most pines look the same when they are covered in paint, dirt, grease and what looks like monkey dung. But pine is not the only wood appropriate for Continue reading»
Hardware for the Campaign Chest – Complete
After much searching, purchasing and examination I settled on a suite of hardware for the Campaign Chest I’m building for Popular Woodworking Magazine. The hardware arrived this week, and I could not be more pleased. While hardware is always one of the most important aspects to a piece of furniture, it is even more critical Continue reading»
Confession & Redemption
I have a palm-grip random-orbit sander that I’ve used for many years on household projects that could not be planed because they were too big, such as 16’-long runs of base moulding nailed to a wall, or weren’t designed for handplaning, such as plywood that is covered in paper-thin veneer. A couple years ago, the Continue reading»
