Shop Blog

Making “stop shavings” – where the plane cuts only one part of the board – is one of the keys to better edge joints and lots of other handplane techniques....

  If you’re considering making a sawhorse, sawing stool, saw bench or however you like to describe it, this pattern is worthy of consideration. Thanks to its very stable platform,...

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...

For Part 1, click here. I crosscut our first batch of Bench Bulls from a 7-1/4″ x 2-1/2″ rough pine beam that we found on the street in front of...

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...

No, the photo at left is not from “The Woodwright’s Shop”…but it’s one of my favorite photos of me with Roy Underhill (he won). Why am I sharing it? Well,...

When I made my current workbench, I built it from a pair of robust, traditional-pattern sawhorses (a form you might know as sawbenches). On the bench build I’m about to...

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...

It’s that time of year when some of you might be scrambling to get a gift or two built on or before December 24. Might I recommend you take a...

Perhaps the most important instrument for the hand-tool oriented woodworker is a sturdy workbench. A reliable bench is fundamental for the success of sawing, chiseling, planing, grooving, [...]

I’ve been know to make fun of the 1997 “Stumpy the Reindeer” project…but I have to admit that it’s a cute and simple decorative piece for the holidays – and...

The February 2016, featuring Jim Tolpin’s Standing Desk, mails to subscribers next week. I have just a couple “Online Extras” to push live, but most of them are now available...