Robust Connections
Apart from a lack of time, the shop the workbench project is progressing well. The leg frames are glued up and I’m working on the aprons at the moment. On...
A Few Thoughts
I just finished reading an article on filling pores, and it reminded me of several things I’ve been meaning to say. First, filling pores is primarily a refinishing operation because...
Convert Veritas Plow Plane to Beading Plane
So this is clever (and a nice benefit for customers) – Lee Valley announced today a(nother) use for the Veritas Small Plow Plane; a beading blade kit is now available....
Build a Bat House
Readers of my personal blog know that I’ve run into some unexpected challenges with my little house rehab project: knob-and-tube wiring…and bats. The wiring is now about 80-percent [...]
Build a Frame Saw Part 2: Mortising
The frame saw that I devised for my students is, among other things, a great exercise in woodworking joinery. It teaches the student the importance of what I call ‘interdependency’....
You Can Add All the Thinner You Want
You often see cans of solvent finishes, including lacquer, and alkyd and polyurethane varnish, with instructions not to thin them. Manufacturers include these instructions in order to comply with [...]
A Quick Hold-open Lid Stay for a Tool Chest
In two weeks I’m moving to a new workshop (ground-floor storefront, yay!). But last night as I was trying to get to sleep I realized that I wasn’t going to...
Joiner’s Dogs, Simple Clamping
It’s wonderful that so many things within woodworking can be accomplished with such simple principles and relative ease of application. This humble wedging action is a perfect example. [...]
Different Campaign Furniture (Different Campaign)
Though I’ve been building campaign furniture pieces for five years, my focus has been on British pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries. There are definitely other traditions in campaign...
Remove Residue NMP From The Wood
The paint-and-varnish removers commonly available in stores are gradually shifting from those available in metal cans to those available in plastic containers. The ones in plastic aren’t as [...]
Build a Frame Saw Part 1: Design and Stock Preparation
Building a functioning tool is a fantastic skill-building exercise for anyone who studies woodworking. Whether it is a wooden plane, a marking gauge or a mallet, the process of creating...
The Bleeding Edge of Risk
In the day of helicopter parents, litigious lawyers and cubicle life how is a person going to experiment with a risk vs. reward model with relative safety? Woodworking gives us an outlet to [...]
