Blue Tape Improves Your Screwing
I’m installing 12 hinges today on a collapsible bookcase and about half of them are in tight quarters where no drill can go, and screwdrivers are no picnic, either. To make the job easier, I like [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 8
As a furniture-maker, turning was always an uphill battle for me. Every turning tool requires a different touch and a different sharpening approach. The problem was that I never practiced enough [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 7
The last two items on my list are for woodworkers who have been very good this year. They are a bit more expensive than the other items on my list, but they are excellent tools. Of those last two [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 6
I cannot give you the gift of better eyesight in the shop because, oh, wait, I actually can. Speaking as someone who has had pitiful eyesight since first grade, I have always looked for ways to [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 5
OK, I’m going to sound like I have a “man crush” on Joel Moskowitz with this blog entry. But when I think about the simplest inventions in my lifetime that have changed my work, the Gramercy [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 4
My first experience using shellac in the mid-1990s was a disaster. The stuff wouldn’t dry. And when it did finally, kinda dry it was a gummy mess. So I stuck to pre-cat lacquer and other film [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 3
We woodworkers work hard to put stuff together. But we suck eggs when it comes to taking things apart. Every woodworker – no matter how skilled – needs an “iron crow.” It’s a thin-bladed pry bar [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 2
If you buy your screwdriver tips at the home center, then you have probably figured out they are made from recycled chewing gum. They are, for the most part, worthless. The steel is too soft, the [...]
The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 1
I’ve been gagging a lot lately on some of the woodworking “gift guides” out there. About 90 percent of the stuff in them is just silly, cheap stuff that you really don’t need. I can say this [...]
An Even Better Bench Light
This summer I swallowed hard and praised an inexpensive IKEA light that I used while teaching at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. When I returned home, I was going to buy one. But then I [...]
A Hidden Gem: ‘Building Classic Arts & Crafts Furniture’
If you are a student of Arts & Crafts furniture, don’t be put off by the too-generically titled “Building Classic Arts & Crafts Furniture” by Michael Crow. This book should be more [...]
Others Building the Dutch Tool Chest
If you are thinking about building the Dutch Tool Chest from the October 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, you aren’t alone. I’ve heard from dozens of other woodworkers who see it as a [...]
