Our cover story for the October 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking is on the tantalizing try square that helped launch Bridge City Tool Works (BCTW). In Try for Your Best Work, BCTW founder John Economaki shows you how to make the iconic square using tools found in most woodworking shops.
In Diamond Banding, Rob Millard uses a common router bit and a simple jig to yield a jewel of an inlay piece in the Federal style.
In The Best Oak Money Can’t Buy, Peter Follansbee tells you why riven oak is the best wood for joinery (and how to do it), but that it comes at a cost – your physical labor.
In Portuguese Folding Table, Online Community Editor Ajax Alexandre builds a clever table that is simple to build and folds up flat for easy portability and storage.
In Make a Chair That Rocks, Jeff Miller teaches you how a bit of geometry and a simple prototype will ensure your rocking chair design will result in a comfortable seat and a smooth ride.
Discover Toshio Odate’s philosophy in A Teacup & 8 Dinner Plates, which derives from the ancient Japanese belief that many objects have a spirit.
In this month’s Tool Test, we check out General’s beefed up mortiser, Veritas’ Dual Marking Gauge, and the ’3Rill’ drill by Rockwell.
In Design Matters, George R. Walker discusses how getting off the straight path can be liberating.
In Arts & Mysteries, Adam Cherubini goes over whetstone sharpening.
In I Can Do That, Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick build a small bench that is ideal for a hallway or porch.
In Flexner on Finishing, Bob Flexner discusses four short (but crucial) finishing subjects.
In The Addict (the End Grain column), Kevin Thomas discusses how he doesn’t want a cure for his woodworking problem.
Plus, Christopher Schwarz’s final On the Level.
Detailed article previews are below. Online Extras (downloads, links, etc.) are found within that article.
[description]Articles from the October 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine[/description][keywords]Popular Woodworking Magazine, Magazine Articles, Technique Articles, Project Articles, Tool Reviews, Finishing[/keywords]
From 1977-1983 I made my living as a studio furniture designer and maker. In addition to making furniture, I found most of the hand tools available at the time so uninspiring and inconsistent with the craftsmanship values I was trying to impart in my furniture, that I made my own.
This simple seat is ideal for a hallway or porch. By Megan Fitzpatrick Pages: 26-27 From The October 2011 issue #192 Buy the issue now This project is inspired by a period choir bench in my mom’s dining room – but I modernized the Gothic revival design of the original with sweeping curves on the … Read more »
Make a Sherpa of a dining table centerpiece that goes the distance. By Mag Ruffman The modest Lazy Susan is a staple on circular dining tables. Everyone can reach out and activate its convenient, if sluggish, spinning action in order to self-serve their favorite condiments from a jumble of bottles, shakers and jars. The unseen … Read more »
The cost of this stock is physical exertion, but it’s fun and rewarding. By Peter Follansbee Pages: 38-43 From the October 2011 issue #192 Buy the issue now VIDEO: Watch bodger Don Weber split a log. BLOG: Read Peter’s blog on period shop practices and joinery. TO BUY: “17th Century New England Carving,” a new … Read more »
My father-in-law gave me a table just like this one on our last trip to Portugal. He picked it up in Serra de Monchique, a small mountain village in the Algarve in the southern part of the country. He has a good eye for design, and knew I would appreciate the simple, ingenious way the table folds up. Because it is so light, compact and strong, it could also serve as a stool. And, when my family returned home, it fit easily into my suitcase. CORRECTION: There were errors in the dimensions of the drawing published with the article, and in the cutlist. Click Here for the correct dimensions. VIDEO:See how the table folds up. WEB SITE: Check out the region in Portugal where this table is built. TO BUY:“The Table Book.” IN THE STORE:“500 Tables: Inspiring Interpretations of Function and Style.”
There were a number of errors in the illustrations and cutlist for the Portuguese Folding Table in the October 2011 issue. The table has four arms, not two as stated in the cut list, and the correct dimensions are in the PDF file available at the link below. Portuguese Table Correct Dimensions
If your woodworking involves a lot of mortise-and-tenon joinery, you need a dedicated mortise machine. The new 5⁄8″ hollow chisel benchtop mortiser from General International (model #75-040 MI) is an excellent choice.
VIDEO: Take a video tour of this machine at popularwoodworking.com/oct11. Read more »
