Whether you love them or hate them, the English form of the infill plane has remained almost unchanged since it was invented in the 19th century. An infill plane is a metal shell that is stuffed – or infilled – with beautiful wood that supports the iron and helps you grip the tool. Perhaps this … Read more
I looked at my 10-year-old daughter Katy over a plate of chili dogs today and realized that this was the chance I had been waiting for all my adult life. When I teach people woodworking, I spend about 42 percent of my time undoing the junk they have taught themselves, or trying to make them … Read more
The best things about the craft of woodworking – the things that bring pleasure in the work – are beyond my skills as a writer, teacher or friend to explain. Example: Powered jointers are – in my opinion – the most sensitive machine ever invented. They are like Phil Donohue with an induction motor. Beginning … Read more
I’ve said this a few times in public, so I figured that I better mention it here before somebody starts a rumor about how I have a tumor (not true) or a small gnome or dwarf growing in my stomach. I won’t be teaching any classes or lectures or traveling to shows in 2012. There … Read more
Thanks to the steady stream of tools that flow in and out of our shop, I do a lot of sharpening. I set up more tools from scratch than I care to admit. And I wear out sharpening stones. Last week I noticed that my #1,000-grit Shapton Glasstone was getting wafer thin. This is the … Read more
I love getting paid to read, so today was a nice day…at least for the few minutes it took me to read Mark Lovett Wells’, “Daddy, Can We Play in the Workshop?” This cute little book written for young children alternates between simple text and black and white photos, and shares the story of Mateo … Read more
Of all the power tools I own, I think my scariest, oops-I-crapped-my-pants moments have been with a power miter saw. When knocking down rough stock, miter saws have a tendency to “armadillo” , or leap straight out of the cut, sometimes kicking your work around. This happens when the stock pinches on the blade, which … Read more
