Popular Woodworking Magazine » Chris Schwarz Woodworking Classes

I Want to Give You ‘Go Fever’

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:49:49 +0000

In some high technology circles there is an expression they use when engineers move too quickly to launch a project. They have “go fever” and are willing to overlook horrible mistakes in order to launch a product. When teaching woodworking – especially casework – I find that most students need to take down their protective netting, … Read more »

The post I Want to Give You ‘Go Fever’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

The Dumb Way to Teach Design

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:50:56 +0000

While I like and appreciate strict reproductions, I’ve always preferred to design my own stuff. How do I design a piece? In the only way I know how. It’s not easy. There are no formulas or rules or ratios. It is by a process I call “saturation and feedback.” Step 1: Absorb everything you can … Read more »

The post The Dumb Way to Teach Design appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Toothbrushes & Glue in Canada

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:16:15 +0000

When in Canada, you do need to be careful about what you use your toothbrush for. At woodworking schools in the United States, a lot of them use a wet toothbrush to remove wet glue squeeze-out from the inside corners of a carcase. But when teaching a tool chest class at Rosewood Studio in Perth, … Read more »

The post Toothbrushes & Glue in Canada appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Improvised Tools (Thanks Blue Tape!)

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 06:34:47 +0000

When I fly somewhere to teach, I usually have a luggage limit of about 50 pounds. Amongst my heaps of lacy underwear, I pack the tools I cannot live without – about 12 pounds worth. That means when I land at my destination, I usually need to make some tools to get through my classes … Read more »

The post Improvised Tools (Thanks Blue Tape!) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Beware of Australians Bearing Softwoods

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:20:04 +0000

Among us old-school newspaper cronies, we have a saying: If your mother says she loves you, check it out. Meaning: Don’t believe a word anyone tells you. So when I arrived in Australia earlier this month I inoculated myself against some of the most common Australian practical jokes. (Out of respect for this beautiful country, … Read more »

The post Beware of Australians Bearing Softwoods appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Australian Woods? We’re Not There Yet

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:57:23 +0000

My biggest fear when traveling to Australia wasn’t the 16-hour flight, the change of hemispheres or the spiders that would make my *deleted* fall off. It was the timber I’d have to work with. Australian woods have the reputation of being the nastiest, hardest, most interlocked and silica-choked timbers on the planet. One stroke on … Read more »

The post Australian Woods? We’re Not There Yet appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

The Great Australian Tool Chest Experiment

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:55:47 +0000

I’ve been teaching classes on building “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” for two years now, and with every class I find some way of goosing the students a bit further along. Last year at The Woodwright’s School we actually got two of the 12 students completely over the finish line. This week, I hope to shatter … Read more »

The post The Great Australian Tool Chest Experiment appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Be Careful Where You Step in Australia

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:06:42 +0000

When it comes to poisonous things that bite you, Australia has more than its fair share. Within an hour of landing in Melbourne, I heard some lovely stories of spotted little spiders that make your flesh rot. I haven’t seen any spiders, but during my first day of teaching a tool chest class at the … Read more »

The post Be Careful Where You Step in Australia appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Highland Woodworking: Hand-tool Stalwarts of the South

Christopher Schwarz — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:52:59 +0000

If it weren’t for Highland Hardware in Atlanta (now called Highland Woodworking), my life would be a lot different. 1. That’s where I first met Roy Underhill. Well, “met” is not the right word. I was too shy to introduce myself. I just watched him for about an hour until it reached the point that … Read more »

The post Highland Woodworking: Hand-tool Stalwarts of the South appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Build a Tool Chest. Day 4: The Silent Day

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:44:12 +0000

The dovetailed skirt around the carcase of a tool chest (or blanket chest) is fussy to fit. The case has to be square and plumb. The skirting material has to be flat and square. And you have to get the joint’s baselines in just the right place. And even when you do all that, you … Read more »

The post Build a Tool Chest. Day 4: The Silent Day appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.