Shop Blog

Woodworking magazines might be dying (or just shrinking), but they aren’t going down without a fight. I’ve been reading woodworking magazines since 1992 or so, and I have kept up...

You don’t see a lot of dust collector tricks in the woodworking magazines, but here’s my contribution. When your two-bag dust collector is too full, the usual solution is to...

I am both a believer and disbeliever in the rules of design (ROD). My relationship with them is not a simple black and white matter. Ultimately, I believe the rules...

The Planemakers’ Roundtable was one of the most popular sessions at Popular Woodworking in America 2016, with discussion topics ranging from metal vs. wood planes, to low-priced knock-offs. [...]

Generally speaking, I like tools: power tools, hand tools, woodworking tools, farm tools. Tools. Also generally speaking, I like old things. I’m no Luddite (I’m very fond of Netflix) but...

I had an excellent time at Popular Woodworking in America, and hope everyone else who was there did, too! It was such fun to catch up with woodworking friends new...

After surfacing the Y table slab, cutting the tenons, excavating the mortises and sanding and painting the legs, Colm mixed some slow setting epoxy adhesive in a cup and was ready...

It has been my intention from the beginning of this blog to include postings about furniture restoration. By restoration I mean wood repair (including regluing), finish repair and refinishing. For...

When researching Roman workbenches, one of the things that leaped out at me was how low many of them were low, knee-high like a sawbench. After building a low bench...

How I Started in Digital Woodworking I had a long career as a designer. Long enough that I started out using traditional design tools, techniques and methods. So, when digital tools...

I’ve just gotten caught up on work (and made a dent in my Dutch tool chest build) after Popular Woodworking in America last weekend, and I wanted to recap my experience...

Screw-driven vises are not modern inventions. The earliest screw-driven vise that I know of is this Italian vise that is circa 1300. I am always looking for earlier vises because...