Popular Woodworking Magazine » Basics http://www.popularwoodworking.com Woodworking advice, woodworking plans, woodworking projects and woodworking blogs Fri, 17 May 2013 23:00:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Understanding Wood: Four Structure Typeshttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/understanding-wood-four-structure-types http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/understanding-wood-four-structure-types#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:03:06 +0000 Tom Nunlist http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=256609
Understanding Wood: Four Structure Types

All hardwoods have vessels (little pipelines) that are used in sap production. The size and distribution of these vessels vary among species; some are visible to the naked eye. When the vessels are cut across the end grain, they’re often referred to as pores, thus hardwoods are known as “porous woods” (see below for further … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/understanding-wood-four-structure-types/feed 1 Your Guide to Tear-outhttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-tear-out http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-tear-out#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:37:05 +0000 Article Index http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=256598
Your Guide to Tear-out

Why Should Understand How Wood Fails Tear-out is ugly, but how does it happen? Ground-breaking research that began in the 1950s by Norman C. Franz showed how wood fails when you cut it with hand tools or power tools. Using a movie camera and a milling machine, Franz made amazing photos that pointed out how … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-tear-out/feed 3 Your Basic Guide to Chiselshttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-basic-guide-to-chisels http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-basic-guide-to-chisels#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:40:49 +0000 Tom Nunlist http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=256566
Your Basic Guide to Chisels

Common Types and Sizes Bevel-edge Chisel (at left): Long edges are ground to an angle to allow the tool to get into tight spaces, such as between dovetails. It is not designed for heavy chopping. A common variant is the paring chisel, which has a longer, thinner blade. Mortising Chisel (at right): A thick blade … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-basic-guide-to-chisels/feed 0 Your Guide to Router Colletshttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-router-collets http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-router-collets#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 19:26:17 +0000 Article Index http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=164071
Your Guide to Router Collets

How a Collet Works • A collet is the steel sleeve that holds a router bit in a router. The collet works with the router shaft (connected directly to the motor) and the collet nut.   • Collets are machined to perfectly mate with the tapered recess in the end of the shaft and to … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/your-guide-to-router-collets/feed 1 Woodworking 101: Basic Sharpeninghttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/woodworking-101-basic-sharpening http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/woodworking-101-basic-sharpening#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 20:49:46 +0000 Tom Nunlist http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=161651
Woodworking 101: Basic Sharpening

Sharpen a Plane Blade There are many ways to sharpen plane blades, and woodworkers have strong opinions on the best technique. Here is a simple, reliable method to achieve a sharp edge. It takes just three waterstones, an inexpensive jig and a few minutes. 1. Get a flat back. While some blades come with a … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/woodworking-101-basic-sharpening/feed 3 Look Ma, No Clampshttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/look-ma-no-clamps http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/look-ma-no-clamps#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:11:28 +0000 Matthew Teague http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=134271
Look Ma, No Clamps

A friend of mine used to claim that his favorite tool was his own spit. I’d never claim such a thing publicly, but I do admit to using some rather unorthodox tools at times: I’ve sharpened paint-can keys to scrape off glue squeeze-out, and ground threaded rod into various shapes for stamping wood. In this … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/look-ma-no-clamps/feed 5 Easy Curvaceous Edge Jointshttp://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/easy-curvaceous-edge-joints http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/easy-curvaceous-edge-joints#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:53:25 +0000 Steve Shanesy http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=107944
Easy Curvaceous Edge Joints

Last winter, I was puzzling out a way to make edge joints that are just the opposite of what we normally want – perfectly straight. I wanted free-flowing curves and I wanted to join contrasting colors of wood species. So the question was how to match the two joint lines on the different pieces of … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/easy-curvaceous-edge-joints/feed 12 New: ‘The Quick-start Guide to Woodworking’http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/new-the-quick-start-guide-to-woodworking http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/new-the-quick-start-guide-to-woodworking#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:29:21 +0000 Megan Fitzpatrick http://www.popularwoodworking.com/?p=106447
New: 'The Quick-start Guide to Woodworking'

In “The Quick-start Guide to Woodworking,” we’ve pulled together articles from 11 years of Popular Woodworking Magazine and Woodworking Magazine with everything the beginning woodworker needs to get started in woodworking the right way – and fill in some critical information that might be missing for the self-taught woodworker. In chapters on Setting Up Shop, … Read more »

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]]> http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/new-the-quick-start-guide-to-woodworking/feed 1 The Chisel-Hatchet and Scalpel In Onehttp://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
The Chisel-Hatchet and Scalpel In One

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 … Read more »

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