A boring task turns into a history lesson. By Roy Underhill Page: 64 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now One day in Williamsburg, a message reached me at the carpenter’s yard that the cabinet shop was shorthanded and needed help. I figured it was some high-end task like dovetailing a chest … Read more
Many finishes are known by this one name. By Bob Flexner Pages: 54-56 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now In common speech and among those in the professional finishing trade, the term “lacquer” usually refers to nitrocellulose lacquer. But there are many other finishes that go by that name. When referring … Read more
How to buy mahogany that 18th-century furniture masterpieces (and dreams) are made of. By Kari Hultman Pages: 50-53 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now Remember when Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) was the most fashionable wood used in fine furniture, had 40 to 60 growth rings per inch, and was readily available … Read more
This period ushered in a radical shift in furniture design and construction. By Charles Bender Pages: 46-49 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now If you ask most people what they know about period furniture, many will shrug and say something like, “Oh, you mean that Colonial-style furniture.” Most woodworkers tend to … Read more
Numerous shapes, forms and functions share a common set of issues. By Robert W. Lang Pages: 40-44 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now A good furniture maker is part artist and part engineer. An overemphasis on either side of this equation leads to furniture that is ugly, impractical or both. Tables … Read more
In an Arkansas basement, this somewhat unusual three-man company turns out extraordinary wooden handplanes. By Christopher Schwarz Pages: 34-39 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now The married couple wanted a custom gazebo. So Larry Williams, a successful carpenter, fetched his camera and was getting ready to photograph gazebos around town to … Read more
A White Water Shaker stepback is sprinkled with water from the fountain of youth. By Glen D. Huey Pages: 26-33 From the April 2010 issue #182 Buy this issue now Shaker stepback cupboards aren’t abundant. In fact, there are only a few examples in the many published books on Shaker furniture. Unless you have a … Read more
