Highly Recommended: Gramercy 14" Saw Vise

Years ago Don McConnell (now with Clark & Williams plane makers) shamed me into sharpening my own saws. He was down for a photo shoot and I mentioned that I had sent a saw out to be sharpened [...]

I Like the Ones That Have a Nipple

I swore a blood oath I would never write about the “nib” on a saw , the ornamental protrusion found at the toe of some old saws. And I won’t break that oath. I will, however, [...]

Roubo Bench. By Hand. For Hands.

I’ve always wanted to build a Roubo workbench “by the book.” Use a massive single plank for the top, tree trunks for legs and all the traditional joinery, such as the [...]

The Joinery Bench: Has its Time Come?

If I’d lived in the the early 18th century, odds are I’d be rotting by now. Life expectancy in England in 1700 was about 37, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. By [...]

Panic in the Morning Mail

What’s this? It’s a lovely mountain scene that would make Bob Ross proud. Happy little trees. Oh look, the big gymnosperm is reflected in the water. I can almost taste the wood smoke [...]

How to Excavate Large Mortises

Question: I know you get thousands of questions everyday, but I thought I’d ask (being the noob woodworker i am).  I’m building my first workbench (been reading your blog, great [...]

From Pathetic to Nearly Perfect

Holding a “most pathetic workbench” contest is like holding a competition for the “most unusual burro act.” Yes, you think in your sick little mind that you are ready for [...]

Why Can't I Tame This Countertop?

Question: First off, thanks for compiling your hand plane articles into one nice volume (“Handplane Essentials”) , I’ve enjoyed reading it, and go back to it for reference. [...]

Cheating at Tenon Shoulders

Perhaps I’m the oddball here, but I’ve always found cutting tenons by hand to be more challenging than any sort of dovetailing. Tenons require a lot of precision sawing if you want to [...]

Wood Whisperer Guild's 'Best of 2009' DVD

Members of Marc Spagnuolo’s online woodworking club , The Wood Whisperer Guild , get access to tons of how-to videos when they join the Guild. But because so much information is free on the [...]