Popular Woodworking Magazine » Woodworking Hand Tools

Hand Tool Maintenance-Don’t Ruin Your Tools!

Robert W. Lang — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:59:30 +0000

Woodworking, like fishing, covers a lot of territory, so the audience for our magazine and web site is a diverse lot. When I learned how to make stuff out of wood, the Internet didn’t exist and there was only one magazine and few books available on the subject. Lacking these modern resources, I was forced … Read more »

The post Hand Tool Maintenance-Don’t Ruin Your Tools! appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Is Your Handplane Tuned? Acacia melanoxylon Knows

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:01:21 +0000

One of the best things about getting older has been the fact that I can now do more woodworking tasks “by feel” than “by eye.” As my already-crappy eyesight has become dulled by middle age, I’ve found that my other senses – particularly my sense of touch – have become heightened. I cannot always see … Read more »

The post Is Your Handplane Tuned? Acacia melanoxylon Knows appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

2 Great Uses for a Saw’s ‘Nib’

Christopher Schwarz — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:17:25 +0000

If you own a saw that has a “nib,” a decorative nipple-looking thing on the toe of your saw, someone will ask you what it’s for. The best answer is: It’s decorative. But that doesn’t stop woodworkers from coming up with uses for it. Here are two good ones. 1. As a place to tie … Read more »

The post 2 Great Uses for a Saw’s ‘Nib’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Veritas Miniature Router Plane in Action

Robert W. Lang — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:33:44 +0000

I haven’t joined in the current love-fest for the router plane. It’s way down on my list of essential tools. I find it a fussy thing whose main purpose seems to be making perfectly flat surfaces where they aren’t needed, and as a means to avoid picking up a chisel. That being said, when Lee … Read more »

The post Veritas Miniature Router Plane in Action appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

What the Deceased Say About Dragging Your Planes

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:23:37 +0000

Though dragging your plane backward on the return stroke can make your iron dull faster, not all the old books agree that you should avoid the practice. In fact, many of my books are silent on the issue. “Spons’ Mechanics’ Own Book,” a massive tome on woodworking and other trades, has nothing (at least that … Read more »

The post What the Deceased Say About Dragging Your Planes appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

When Planing, I Can Be a Real Drag

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:10:49 +0000

I’m the first to admit that I have some bad habits. I drink beer. I occasionally curse. And I sometimes drag my planes back across my work on the return stroke. When you receive traditional training, dragging a plane back across your work will get your knuckles rapped by the shop nun. That’s because when … Read more »

The post When Planing, I Can Be a Real Drag appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Laminate File: A Woodworking Hand Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed

Robert W. Lang — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:30:32 +0000

Tool snobs beware: This post is about an inexpensive tool that is useful for woodworking and without an ounce of style or charm. In the cabinet industry, plastic laminate files are used for filing the edges of plastic laminate after trimming with a router. In that world, they are a consumable item and are purchased … Read more »

The post Laminate File: A Woodworking Hand Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Mallet Theory: You Can Get Used to Almost Any Tool

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:09:05 +0000

When it comes to holding a woodworking tool in our hands for hours at a time, we have two choices: change the tool or change our attitude. Most woodworkers – surprisingly – refuse to change the tools. Perhaps we’re afraid we’ll make it worse. Or we don’t know what to alter on the tool. Or … Read more »

The post Mallet Theory: You Can Get Used to Almost Any Tool appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Spear-point Marking Knives

Article Index — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:43:22 +0000

Versatile (but tricky to sharpen) – we help you select the best tool for your work. By Christopher Schwarz From the March 2005 issue ofWoodworking Magazine, pages 14-15 Spear-point marking knives are the most versatile version of this invaluable marking tool. While other marking knives excel at one particular task, the spear-point varieties are good … Read more »

The post Spear-point Marking Knives appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Sharpening Angles for Dullards

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:30:38 +0000

The most embarrassing jig I’ve ever owned has been photographed, measured and pondered more than any single piece of fine furniture I’ve built. It’s a stupid little block of wood with stops on it for many common sharpening angles I use with my side-clamp honing guide – sometimes called the “Eclipse” guide because that was … Read more »

The post Sharpening Angles for Dullards appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.