The Best $139 I’ve Spent on my Bench
After 19 years of building workbenches and testing workholding devices, I am darn picky about what equipment I have on my benches. In truth, I don’t have a lot of...
How to Avoid Hours of Handplaning
The trick to becoming fast at handplaning is to never pause during stock preparation. No matter how you prepare your wood for a project (with machines, handplanes or some combination...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 10: Abranet
I do almost no power sanding. But I do use abrasives in my work. And the only abrasive I use is Abranet. I hesitate to call it “sandpaper” because it...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 9: Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide
Every year I recommend one tool that is a bit spendier than the rest, and this year it is the Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide. Thomas Lie-Nielsen first showed me the prototypes...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 8: Better Beeswax
During the last few years as I have turned my back on finishes with lots of volatile organic compounds, I’ve begun looking for traditional high-quality finishes that won’t shorten my...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 7: Forged Roman-style Nails
Good nails have been used in fine furniture for centuries. But during the last 100 years, nails have earned a bad reputation among furniture makers. That’s because good nails (cut...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 6: Soap Finish
This year I have experimented a lot with using a soap finish on chairs and tables. Soap is a traditional Danish finish used on furniture and floors. It’s easy to...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 5: Veritas Trammel Points
After 20 years, I finally wore out my grandfather’s Japanese-made trammel points. They were things of beauty, but the micro-adjustable friction mechanism began to slip and nothing could be done...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 4: B’laster Dry Lube
If you use only hand tools, this isn’t going to interest you much. If you use machines, read carefully. Lubrication makes a huge difference when you work alone. Moving heavy...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 3: Starrett No. 92 Compass
I promise this is not an all-Starrett Christmas. Truth is (I hate to say) the last few things I’ve bought new from Starrett have been disappointing (especially a small pair...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 2: Starrett 819 Centering Punch
When I started seriously into building campaign furniture, I found that I was driving hundreds (no lie) of screws each week when building a typical piece with all the brass...
Anarchist’s 2015 Gift Guide, Day 1: Microfiber Cloths
Every woodworker needs an oily rag to wipe down tools after sharpening or use. For years I used a bit of an old sweatshirt until it fell apart. Now I...
