One of our goals for this year is reviving Woodworking in America. We’re working on what Popular Woodworking’s flagship event (Woodworking in America) is going to look like going forward. While we’re not 100% sure how the physical meet-up/event is going to work in the next few years, we did want to do more work…

Three weeks ago, Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd. Outrage over his death sparked protests around Minneapolis and throughout the world. As a resident of Minneapolis, it feels like change is really happening. It’s up to us to make sure change happens, to stay vigilant and to work toward a better, more equitable society. My…

Raking light through windows is the clear winner in a hand-tool shop. In 2007, I was a speaker at Colonial Williamsburg’s Furniture Forum, and there I met Adam Cherubini. He was in costume in the parking lot, talking period furniture and tools to anyone who’d listen. If you know Adam, or have seen him in…

Years ago when I was editor at Popular Woodworking, I was interviewed for a job at one of our competitors. During the interview, I experienced one of those fork-in-the-road moments where a single decision will change everything you do for the rest of your life. To set the stage a bit, this happened about 2008….

It’s the easiest question in the world: Who is your favorite woodworker? A fellow craftsman asked me this question earlier this month, and I still don’t have a good answer. I have one easy answer: Dead woodworkers. Charles H. Hayward is my No. 1 hero. He was everything I have ever wanted to be: A…

Even if you have a gold-plated fancy-pants laser-guided dovetail saw, you should also own the $15 Zona dovetail saw because it’s so dang cheap and so dang handy for small-scale work. I’ve written a lot about this saw (check this entry for the background and copious links). Bottom line: It’s served me well for years…

There are only four categories, so it’s easy. There are probably more myths surrounding furniture polishes than any other single aspect of wood finishing. What makes this topic confusing are the often-silly claims of manufacturers. They range from half-truths, such as “furniture polish preserves the finish,” to outright absurdities, such as “furniture polish replaces the…

To master finishing, you need to understand the basic terminology. All technical fields have their own vocabulary. You’ll have difficulty mastering any technical field without understanding its vocabulary. Here are some of the most commonly used finishing terms and their meanings. Sealer (sanding sealer) is the first coat of any finish. The first coat penetrates,…

Understand and avoid this common spraying flaw. Orange peel is the most universal defect in a sprayed finish. It is a bumpiness on the surface that resembles the skin of an orange – hence the name. No matter what brand or quality of spray gun you’re using, or how well you clean and tune the…

While enjoying a leisurely lunch the Sunday before Christmas, it hit me. Something was missing. Nope, it wasn’t the usual holiday panic — a forgotten gift or missed greeting card, but an urge for a holiday-theme woodworking project. Something that could be made with woodworking tools between now and New Years’. Something simple, Something needed….

The Star Wars Universe Not long ago, in a small workshop far, far away… As new technology spread rapidly throughout a galaxy of centuries-old traditions, the woodworking world was in a period of great unrest. At a remote base deep in the woods of the Great Northwest, a lone rebel armed with revolutionary tools faced…

A New Lightsaber Walking Stick Not long ago, in a small workshop far, far away… It was a period of unrest in the woodworking world. With new technologies entering a galaxy of century-old traditions, the woodworking world was in a period of great change. At a remote base deep in the woods of the Great…