In many museums, the best stuff isn’t out on display it is tucked away in the basement or in the hands of conservators. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California has a world-class furniture collection, and if you’re coming to the Woodworking in America conference in Pasadena, California this October 12-14, come a … Read more
Whenever I leave town to teach a woodworking class, I make two stops to pick up a supply of two essential things for project layout. The first stop is the office supply store for a box of Bic .5mm mechanical pencils. Next stop is the “big box home center” for a dozen lumber crayons. The … Read more
Back in May 2012, it appeared that the state of California was prepared to adopt legislation requiring “flesh detection technology” on all new table saws sold in that state after January 2015. The legislation was introduced this spring, and passed the California house by a wide margin. In late June the bill was approved by … Read more
At this year’s Woodworking in America conferences, I’ll be talking about and demonstrating how to make Arts & Crafts period furniture. It’s a popular style among woodworkers, but the history of the period and what details are significant are not well understood. We’re not even sure what to call it, and it goes by several … Read more
Way back in 2005, I wrote an article for issue #4 of Woodworking Magazine about holdfasts. At the time, very few woodworkers knew what a holdfast was, and the article reviewed available manufactured holdfasts, as well as a few blacksmith made ones. We recently put the original holdfast article online, and included a link to … Read more
Woodworking really is simple, despite all attempts to complicate it. Complications introduced by well-meaning folks can keep a beginner away from the enjoyable part: making things. One of the most common questions is “what tools do I need to get started?” and as the would-be woodworker starts reading he soon begins asking, “Which set of … Read more
With SketchUp, you can use a photo of a piece of furniture to make a model of the piece. From that model you can develop your plans for building a reproduction. Here’s an example using the Shaker Stepback Cupboard made by Glen D. Huey for our April 2010 issue. I swiped the image off the … Read more
