Last Saturday was an interesting day. My son, Hayes, and I delivered a large, private banquet room table to a popular restaurant that’s moving to a new downtown location in a couple weeks. He landed the job as part of an order for 15 or so other various-sized dining tables in the public part of … Read more
In July of 2005, I’d decided to step down from my position as promotion manager in the creative services department of our parent company (F&W Publications at the time, now F+W Media). I was returning to graduate school in the fall; after seven years of writing advertising, direct mail, renewal notices, book club promotions and … Read more
The crates for the April 5-6 Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event arrived yesterday (thank you, kind neighbor, for your forklift help); it’s tempting to open them and dig into the bronze, wood and steel goodness inside. The free event is next Friday (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) in our office and shop, 8469 … Read more
Editor’s note: We’re inviting our contributing editors and authors to write blog entries for us on all things woodworking – particularly related to articles they’re writing for the magazine. (We’re developing a new blog, the Popular Woodworking Contributors’ Blog, for that purpose, but for now, you’ll find these entries on the Editors’ Blog.) Below, you’ll … Read more
Heather Trosdahl’s article in the Dec. 2012 issue, “Parquetry Tabletop,” requires shop-sawn veneers for the best results. In case sawing one’s own veneer is a technique with which you’re unfamiliar, she’s shared her methods below: • Install an appropriate blade for re-sawing. Fully tension the blade, using the 1/8″ rule. That is, the flesh under … Read more
Dave Coleman is one of our readers, and one of the dedicated craftsmen putting the White Water Shaker Village back together. He’s been building Shaker furniture and boxes for a number of years, and recently he dropped by our office to show us a new veneer press that he is making. If you’re serious about … Read more
From time to time I hear someone comment about a woodworking practice that runs totally contrary to what I’ve been taught. One of these is what kind of wood surface yields the strongest joint when using wood glues, typically white or yellow glue, but also hide glue. This came up a few weeks ago. And … Read more
