We all make mistakes. But too often, we make the same mistake over and over again because we don’t even know we have a problem. In this November 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking, we point out 33 big mistakes that plague your projects – and show you how to avoid them.
A ruler (yup, a ruler) slashes your sharpening time.
A secret weapon to fix your damaged finishes.
A classic Shaker tripod table that uses a simpler joint for sturdy legs.
Join Christopher Schwarz on his journey as he builds a Welsh stick chair.
Learn why you need a rasp.
Build a $10 table saw tenon jig.
Lonnie Bird offers tips for better glue joints.
Tune-up your auger bits.
Woodworking Essentials continues with everything you need to know about buying, using and maintaining your saw blades.
Learn the basic moves to sharpen your set of lathe tools.
Test your layout tools.
We put the Veritas Low-Angle Jack Plane, a new miter gauge from Kreg and an ingenious splitter through our tool test.
Plus, Tricks of the Trade, Q&A and much more.
Check out previews of each article below. Online extras can be found here.
Sometimes sawing isn’t the smartest solution. By Jim Tolpin Page: 108 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now When I lived in Pennsylvania, an Appalachian furniture maker I met gave me this mystery to solve: “Back near the turn of the last century, the new fire chief of Cumberland, Md., decided to … Read more
Sometimes it’s a good technique for repairing damaged finishes. By Bob Flexner Pages: 102-104 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now In the woodworking community, French polishing is usually thought of as a technique for finishing new wood. But in the repair community, French polishing is commonly used to renew worn or … Read more
Turning tools come in many shapes. Here’s how to keep those shapes sharp. By Judy Ditmer Pages: 97-99 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now Many years ago, I was cooking with a friend who was home visiting his parents during a college break. He struggled with a dull knife until he … Read more
A simple and inexpensive accessory that will cut accurate joints. By Bill Hylton Pages: 94-96 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now The mortise and tenon is one of those fundamental joints you’re obligated to master. It’s used for building frames of all sorts (including post-and-beam architectural frames), as well as tables … Read more
There are many things we do wrong but we don’t know they’re wrong. By the Popular Woodworking staff Pages: 88-92 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now In woodworking there are two kinds of mistakes: There’s the garden-variety gaffe where we simply cut a board too short or botch a dimension, and … Read more
Radically reduce the time it takes to prepare and sharpen a plane iron with the help of a $5 steel ruler. By David Charlesworth Pages: 82-86 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now I have been teaching furniture making for more than 27 years and am convinced that most amateurs are not … Read more
Although delicate, this graceful table should provide years of service in your home. By Kerry Pierce Pages: 76-81 From the November 2004 issue #144 Buy this issue now Several years ago while teaching a chairmaking class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, I thanked Mario Rodriguez (who was teaching a hand-tool class at the … Read more
