Interview with Matt Bickford
Trading Wall Street for molding planes. Editor’s note: This interview originally appeared in the October/November 2012 issue of American Woodworker Matt Bickford’s story is quite unusual [...]
USNS Comfort and Mercy, A Scale Model, Part 4
Milk Paint is one of my most favorite paints. I like it for the fact that it is a water-based medium, that it dries to a hard and chalky-like surface, that it is easy to sand, and that it is …
USNS Comfort and Mercy, A Scale Model, Part 3
After I finished shaping the hull of the USNS Comfort (read about it in Part 1 and Part 2) I turned to make all the elements that construct the superstructure. Below (Sketch #1) are a few of my [...]
USNS Comfort and Mercy, A Scale Model, Part 2
Last time I showed how I designed and shaped the top, or deck view of the USNS Comfort. Today I would like to show how I continued to shape the ship’s blank on the bandsaw and then refine the …
USNS Comfort and Mercy, A Scale Model, Part 1
As a resident of New York I was heartened by the sight of the USNS Comfort, the beautiful white ship marked with the emblem of the red cross, as she rolled in the NY Harbor to help in the fight [...]
Baby Steps Into the 2020 Pandemic
These are difficult times for so many people. As residents of the state of New York, we are at the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak. Until almost three weeks ago I was still teaching in our [...]
Half Face Respirator Masks for Our Time
I had this blog entry on the back burner for quite some time now. But, as our current unprecedented set of events has unfolded so rapidly, it became imperative for me to finish and publish it as [...]
Grippy Clamp
Some objects aren’t easy to hold for drilling. When I run into a situation like this, I use a wooden-jawed handscrew that has sandpaper glued to one side of it, so it doesn’t move [...]
Before Retiring a “Softy” Edge-Tool Try to Change Its Bevel’s Angle
In my job as a woodworking teacher I do not only have command over the pedagogical content of our program, but also on the daily maintenance tasks of tool sharpening and general shop upkeep. Some [...]
These Pesky MDF and Chipboard
After a recent visit to our relative’s home in Cincinnati, I noticed that a lovely centerpiece was decorating the family breakfast table. I did not remember seeing a centerpiece on that table [...]
Portable Workbench
Even though you can carry this bench in one hand, it has the same desirable features as a full-size bench: A thick top, solid construction, a quick-release vise and dog holes that make it easy to [...]
Make a Honing Guide Angle Setting Jig
If you like to rely on a honing guide during sharpening, you will benefit from using an angle setting (or indexing) jig. An indexing jig will allow you to accurately set the right amount of blade [...]
