http://www.popularwoodworking.com Woodworking advice, woodworking plans, woodworking projects and woodworking blogs Thu, 24 May 2012 21:42:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/woodworking-hand-tools/gottshall-block-follow-up http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/woodworking-hand-tools/gottshall-block-follow-up#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:23:29 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=109803
At last weekend’s Woodworking in America conference, I talked with several readers about projects I’ve made for the magazine. As expected, I was asked about my workbench and furniture projects, but  I was surprised about how many people sought me out to discuss the Gottshall Block. It turns out this project inspired many woodworkers, raised Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/woodworking-hand-tools/gottshall-block-follow-up/feed 3 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/gottshall-block-complete-and-ready-to-grade http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/gottshall-block-complete-and-ready-to-grade#comments Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:04:51 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Gottshall+BlockComplete+And+Ready+To+Grade.aspx
If there were an award for the most words per board foot in writing about woodworking, I believe that this series of posts about the Gottshall block would win. And if there were an award for the most harassment per board foot, my coworkers would win. At our weekly meeting this morning I announced that Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/gottshall-block-complete-and-ready-to-grade/feed 5 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/coping-with-curves http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/coping-with-curves#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:26:32 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Coping+With+Curves.aspx
Time for a show of hands. Have you ever said, “I can’t cut curves because I don’t have a band saw, a jig saw or an oscillating spindle sander?” If so, here’s a solution that involves an unsung hero of the hand-tool world, the coping saw. Coping saws offer a tremendous bang for your buck. Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/coping-with-curves/feed 6 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/the-chisel-hatchet-and-scalpel-in-one http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/the-chisel-hatchet-and-scalpel-in-one#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:49:23 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/The+ChiselHatchet+And+Scalpel+In+One.aspx
Here’s my theory: if you get good using one tool, learning the next tool you pick up will be easier. Good woodworkers connect a piece of wood on the bench and their brain through their hands and the tools in their hands. Learn how to make that connection and you will easily pick up new Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/the-chisel-hatchet-and-scalpel-in-one/feed 4 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/and-now-for-the-chisel http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/and-now-for-the-chisel#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:33:12 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/And+Now+For+The+Chisel.aspx
Working on this little block has been an interesting experience, and I hope you’ll give it a try. Explaining it on the blog has made me think about a lot of basic things that have become habit over the years. The Gottshall block is a hand tool education, and one of the lessons is that Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/and-now-for-the-chisel/feed 2 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/you-can-really-do-that http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/you-can-really-do-that#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:40:06 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/You+Can+Really+Do+That.aspx
One of the greatest moments in marketing history was the mass adoption of power tools following World War II. Before then, the standard thinking was that just about anyone could pick up a saw and cut a piece of wood. Within 20 years that notion became an eccentricity. If you want to sell anything to Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/you-can-really-do-that/feed 4 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/better-than-a-knife http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/better-than-a-knife#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:33:48 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Better+Than+A+Knife.aspx
When you work with power tools, machine set up is everything. The quality of your joinery, and your entire project is based on your level of accuracy at that stage. With hand tools, layout is everything. You can’t depend on your table saw’s fence to make certain that every cut is the same, so how Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/better-than-a-knife/feed 3 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/better-than-a-pencil http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/better-than-a-pencil#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:48:25 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Better+Than+A+Pencil.aspx
One of the things that can overwhelm a beginning woodworker is the sheer number of choices to make about the simplest things. It doesn’t help that there is always someone waiting to tell you that there is a better, faster, easier, or morally superior way to do it. That improved method usually involves a new Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/better-than-a-pencil/feed 3 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/exercise-in-layout-and-marking http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/exercise-in-layout-and-marking#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:30:45 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Exercise+In+Layout+And+Marking.aspx
If you’ve taken the bait and are willing to make a Gottshall block, I suggest you ask yourself two questions before you start. What kind of woodworker do you want to be, and how will you know when you get there? There aren’t any right or wrong answers; this is something we do for fun Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/exercise-in-layout-and-marking/feed 13 http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/one-old-exercise-for-growing-skills http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/one-old-exercise-for-growing-skills#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:25:57 +0000 Robert W. Lang http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/One+Old+Exercise+For+Growing+Skills.aspx
Yesterday’s post on developing basic skills generated a lot of response. In addition to the comments, I received several e-mails. One that got my attention came from saw-maker extraordinaire Mike Wenzloff. Mike included an image from Franklin Gottshall’s Making Antique Furniture Reproductions. I’d seen this exercise before, but never tried it. “Mike has used it Continue reading»]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/one-old-exercise-for-growing-skills/feed 8