Popular Woodworking Magazine » Marking and Measuring

Test Drive: Carbide Marking Knife from Czeck Edge

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:18:22 +0000

If you don’t like (or cannot) sharpening a marking knife, the new Czeck Edge “Super Kadet II” knife is likely the right choice for your tool chest. Based on the well-balanced and well-made “Kerf Kadet” knife, this version is like its older brothers with the addition of a tungsten carbide blade. Why a carbide blade? … Read more »

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Inside Colen Clenton’s Adjustable Try Squares

Christopher Schwarz — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:17:07 +0000

I first heard about Colen Clenton’s tools from Joel Moskowitz of Tools for Working Wood in Brooklyn, N.Y. On Joel’s recommendation, I purchased one of Colen’s squares and was deeply impressed by its craftsmanship and accuracy. I asked Joel how I could e-mail Colen and ask him a few questions about his tools for an … Read more »

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TS-2: Perfection Made Rare

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:57:02 +0000

Years ago I worked with a professional woodworker who built all his own tools, used the least-expensive machines available and turned out work that was undeniably world class. He scoffed at buying clamps (he made his own). He invented precision tools when he needed them. And he could make inlay tools from shop garbage. And … Read more »

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Don’t Leave Home Without Essential Layout Tools

Robert W. Lang — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:04:45 +0000

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 »

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Cool Square. But What the Heck is it Used For?

Christopher Schwarz — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:53:52 +0000

One of my favorite tools is the “English Layout Square” I built for the December 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Heck, I like it so much I put it on the cover of my book “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” built one on “The Woodwright’s Shop” and even had its shape engraved on the sidewall … Read more »

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Find Center With a Combination Square

Robert W. Lang — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:28:54 +0000

In this short video, executive editor Robert W. Lang demonstrates how to find the center of a board using a combination square, it’s easy, accurate and no numbers were harmed in the making of this video. – Robert Lang

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New: ‘Mastering Hand Tools: Basic Skills for Balanced Woodworking’

Christopher Schwarz — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:47:47 +0000

If you read this blog, you are probably interested in hand tools. And if you are at the beginning of your journey, this blog entry is for you. Popular Woodworking Magazine commissioned me to make a series of 10 to-the-point videos about hand tools that try to strip away the confusion so you can get … Read more »

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Winding Sticks with Better Visibility

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:05:08 +0000

Winding sticks don’t have to be fancy. Heck, they don’t even need to be anything other than two pieces of material that have parallel edges – that’s all you need to use these sticks to diagnose a twisted board or assembly. But I have a weakness for nice winding sticks, and they are a fun … Read more »

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The Black Knife

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:19:19 +0000

In 19th-century English workshops you could be sacked (fired) for wearing eyeglasses. There are even accounts of how a shop might have a certain phrase that was spoken when the master was about to walk through the workroom. When that phrase was uttered, all the eyeglasses would go into hiding. I would have been fired … Read more »

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New Episodes from ‘The Woodwright’s Shop’

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:35:30 +0000

The shows from the latest season of Roy Underhill’s “The Woodwright’s Shop” can now be viewed online for free through this link. What, you are still here and reading my crap? Click the link and get over there and watch all 13 episodes. That’s more than six hours of Roy, with less than an hour … Read more »

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