Woodworking Hand Tools
Sharpening with Diamond Lapping Film
Almost every system for sharpening tools works just fine, so the differences between the systems come down to speed, expense, portability and mess. In December, Lee Valley Tools started carrying diamond lapping film for sharpening edge tools. I kind of ignored it as I was busting my hump building a Campaign Secretary under a tight Continue reading»
New: ‘Mastering Hand Tools: Basic Skills for Balanced Woodworking’
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 Continue reading»
Milled-Tooth Plane-Maker’s Floats Review
Lee Valley recently added Japanese milled-tooth plane-maker’s floats to their product line-up, and I’ve been using them the last few days to tweak some through-mortises. These are similar to the previously available Xfine mille d-tooth files, but the floats are tapered in profile making them more adaptable to different size openings and special situations. Both Continue reading»
New Sawmaker Builds Ancient Saws
Anyone who has ever read Joseph Moxon’s “Mechanick Exercises” (1678) has puzzled over his pictures of saws. There are some frame saws, a whipsaw and a fancy handled saw without a back that Moxon, as far as I know, doesn’t discuss in his text. That fancy saw has always caught my eye. What was it Continue reading»
Confession & Redemption
I have a palm-grip random-orbit sander that I’ve used for many years on household projects that could not be planed because they were too big, such as 16’-long runs of base moulding nailed to a wall, or weren’t designed for handplaning, such as plywood that is covered in paper-thin veneer. A couple years ago, the Continue reading»
Tweaking an Over-set Coping Saw
When cutting dovetails, I’ve always cleared out most of the waste with a coping saw. Why? I learned it that way in 1993 and am faster with the coping saw than I am with a chisel. Even though I’ve been dovetailing for almost 20 years, I’m always looking for small things to improve my speed Continue reading»
Great Woodshops: Tossing Out Tradition
Konrad Sauer improves a 150-year-old handplane design.
by Christopher Schwarz
pages 50-54
From the April 2012 Issue, #196
Let’s say you were good at building Chippendale highboys. Really good. Phil-Lowe-kind-of-good at it. Customers came to you regularly and you had plenty of work to keep you busy.
Then why – oh why – would you try to reinvent that highboy?
That’s the kind of question that many traditionalists are asking about planemaker Konrad Sauer, who has successfully made a living for more than 10 years as a custom toolmaker. Since Sauer opened his doors for business on Jan. 2, 2001, his bread and butter has been building infill jointer, panel and smoothing planes (plus other traditional forms) that are firmly rooted in the British infill tradition.
Web sites: Visit Sauer & Steiner’s web site and read Konrad Sauer’s blog.
Video: Watch our video of Sauer discussing the design of the K13.
Article: Read an early profile of Sauer’s work.
In our store: “Handplane Essentials” (Popular Woodworking Books) by Christopher Schwarz, available in both print and a DRM-free digital PDF format.
