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I’m getting about a letter a day from people interested in building (or taking me to task) for the Roubo-style workbench shown in Issue 4. Reader Dan Chaffin, a furniture maker in [...]

I sometimes shudder to think about all of the chisels and plane irons I’ve set up in the last 10 years. Every review has involved hours and hours of setup time, most of that flattening the [...]

Have you ever wondered why there are specific rules for the sizes of mortise-and-tenon joints? Did you know there are rules? If you consult the 19th and early 20th century texts, they state that [...]

One of the curious aspects of investigating drawboring has been the mystery surrounding antique drawbore pins. Almost all of the examples of pins I come across are big , too big for cabinet work, [...]

I’ve been doing quite a bit of drawboring lately while building a couple cabinets for the next issue of Woodworking Magazine. And it’s given me a chance to try a couple of new [...]

When it comes to finishing, I’m first to admit I can be a bit chicken. I do work hard at finishing, but I generally stick with what I know. And I avoid wetsanding the finish at all costs. I [...]

Question: I am a beginner woodworker, so I don’t have a workbench yet. I’ve been looking and wondering if I should make my own bench or buy a starter one. Then I read your article and [...]

The historically correct shape of the drawbore pin shown in our Autumn 2005 issue has come into question this week. Joel Moskowitz, a tool historian (correction: and a user) and the owner of [...]

Question: I just read your article in the new Woodworking Magazine on Shaker end tables and am going to make a pair. I have one question: I like the idea of treating the wood with a couple of [...]

This week I’m trying to pry my way inside the heads of the Shakers. After years of building the furniture, it’s remarkable how little I know about the people themselves. So I’ve [...]

My boss at my last job had a test he gave to all job applicants. He simply asked them: “How many hours do you sleep at night?” If they answered “seven” or anything less, [...]

The Roubo workbench we built for Issue 4 has been greeted with both interest and healthy skepticism. Most people wonder how they would perform certain operations without a shoulder vise, [...]