If you are relying on your kitchen sink and countertop as your sharpening station then you know how messy things can get. Stones, even those with rubber feet move on you, water migrates all around, and then if you leave behind wet or slurried surfaces your spouse will definitely express their discontent.  A few months…

Make accurate and safe crosscuts with ease – and set the stage for clever accessories Most power-tool woodworkers have at least one table saw sled. And while a sled can make your work safer and more accurate, a well-thought-out sled can also do much more. Sometimes I call this one the “MegaSled,” other times the…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Jess Crow, an epoxy/wood artist from Alaska. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I entered the woodworking field by accident. I wanted a coffee table for my bedroom, and I couldn’t afford one. I found some free dunnage and had just…

Tool: SG-31 Lightweight Hearing Protection Band Manufacturer: SensGard MSRP: $24.99 Before reading why these SensGard hearing protectors are so good, consider if you share some of the problems I have had with other protectors. I do not like stuffing things into my ear canals, such as foam plugs that must be compressed with often dirty fingers, then…

The universal and timeless structure of our imaginations. Woodworking spans the globe and is a common thread linking humans across the ages. This craft shares a basic tool kit across time and space with more similarities than differences. An artisan from feudal Japan might view a Western backsaw with suspicion, but would still recognize it…

Learn why certain oils cure better and what makes an oil suitable for finish. Oil is one of the most important ingredients used in finishing products. Besides being a finish all by itself, oil is an important component in varnishes, polyurethanes and furniture polishes; a primary binder in stains, glazes and pore fillers; a plasticizer…

A simple-to-build tote, perfect for tool and supplies transport. I designed this stacking tool caddy to hold small parts and a few tools. It’s comprised of three tool trays that stack and interlock together to form a single unit that can be carried wherever needed. Best of all, it stores my screws, nails and small tools…

Apply layers of milk paint to add depth and contrast to your work. A visitor asked, “Paint over wood? Aren’t you obscuring wood’s natural beauty?” There are two assumptions behind these questions: Wood is naturally beautiful. Paint is thick, looks like plastic and hides whatever it covers. I’d say both assumptions are partially correct. Paint…

One jig opens up a whole world of useful shapes If you’ve ever wanted to venture beyond the world of squares and circles, consider incorporating elliptical shapes into your next design. Cutting an oval by hand can be tricky, and usually involves lots of sanding to smooth and fair the curve. Luckily there’s an easier…

A look at Ken Richards’ life in woodworking. After six years as a draftsman at Boeing—his first job out of high school—Ken Richards had enough money put aside to buy five acres and a barn in nearby Maple Valley, Wa., and he was ready for a career change. “Six years of sitting at a desk,…

From the Middle Ages until the dawn of the 20th century, wooden planes were the dominant bench plane form in the Western world. But when I started woodworking (in the hand-tool dark ages of the late 20th century), this traditional form seemed practically extinct. As I became interested in planemaking, I found plenty of information…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Jenny Boles, a woodworker from Kentucky.  How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I have always had a love for building and creating things, even as a young child. As a little girl I would wander off into the woods by our…

These doors are all about the angles – learn to bisect them using geometry and it’s a snap. When I walk into the American decorative arts Gallery at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., I am always drawn to a great Federal piece that was built by Cotton Bennett in my hometown of Beverly,…

After talking about the look and feel of the new Richter Chisel (including its test companion the Stanly #750) and last week’s entry on how I sharpened them, we have finally reached the finale of this three-part saga – the actual slicing duel.  Test methodology Bench chisels are meant mainly for sheering wood fibers, either…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Massood and Sasha Nouri, a father-daughter woodturning duo from Washington.  How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? My father spent his childhood in Iran and was inspired by his big brother. When he was only seven, his brother gave him several old…