Shop Blog

It seems that no other shop resource is treated with such obliviousness as sandpaper. Although sandpaper is responsible for the last steps of shaping much of our work, it doesn’t...

Thanks for all the great comments! Congratulations to “Jeffreyi,” the winner of this book giveaway. Stay tuned for more exciting book giveaways and if you’re interested in a copy of “The...

If you enjoy using handplanes in your woodworking, then you may consider adding specialty planes (like a fillister) to your shop. Frank Klausz is a fan of fillister planes, and in this...

The BARN Workbench is named for a community group of woodworkers and other artisans. BARN is the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network located on Bainbridge Island. The island is directly across...

On the way back from Handworks, editor Megan Fitzpatrick asked me a question I get a lot: “Does it irk you when people build your furniture designs and fail to...

One of the great things about handwork is that 90° is not the most critical angle. While absolute 90° is a holy setting on machinery, 87° or 93° is just...

As with most things in woodworking, there’s more than one way to fit doors and drawers. Nothing beats a handplane for precision, flexibility, and speed when you have a solid...

Anyone who has introduced a square to young students or beginner woodworkers knows the challenges of teaching them how to control the tool and maintain it square to the edge...

I’m dead chuffed to announce that, commencing next week, the inimitable Nancy Hiller will be a regular contributor the PWM Shop Blog. She’ll be sharing techniques and tips from her...

Popular Woodworking Books has just reprinted the classic text “The Art and Craft of Cabinet-Making” by David Denning (1891) in a beautiful edition at a great price. If you are...

With time, furniture joints (especially in chairs) tend to loosen up a bit. It’s part of working with a material that once was alive and continues to react with the...

I don’t like tool chests. There, I said it. Let’s see if I’m struck down by lightning from the woodworking gods. I’ve bought them in the past, built them, understand...