Tools

When I am deep into a sawcut, you could walk into the shop totally naked, on fire and covered with leprous monkeys, and I probably wouldn’t notice. Accurate sawing is tantric. It’s a [...]

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Several weeks ago I was planing a piece of palm when my hand slipped, and a deep sliver of the nasty grass dove into the middle finger of my left hand. I dug out as much of the splinter as …

Cute as a bug’s ear , though far more useful than any insect’s tympanal organ , are the new detail rabbet planes from Veritas (the high-end, made-in-Canada house brand of Lee Valley [...]

One of the great mysteries of the hand tool world is how Roy Underhill never seems to get older. (Is there a cursed painting in your attic, Mr. Underhill?) The other great mystery is about the [...]

For me, ripping boards on low sawhorses is a quick trip to a sore back. It’s a balancing act done while bending over and pushing hard. So I’m always on the lookout for ways to do the [...]

I’m think I’m a decent dovetailer. My joints are tight and I get things done. Heck, I can even teach dovetailing to others when pressed. So why don’t I post a video of how [...]

One of my first handplanes, a Stanley No. 5, had a shopmade tote that was all kinds of wrong. Wrong shape, wrong wood, wrongly made. So as soon as I could, I bought a replacement front knob and [...]

There are still some spots open in the woodworking classes I’m teaching this winter. If you’ve recently come into a little money (thank you First National Bank of the Plasma) and have [...]

“I know what you’re thinking, punk. You’re thinking, ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But [...]

Roy Underhill has asked me to appear on “The Woodwright’s Shop” during the show’s upcoming 30th season. (Note to self: You can now stop squealing like a little girl.) [...]

If you’re parsimonious, tardy or just plain wary, then this post is for you. My book “Handplane Essentials” is now on sale for the first time since its release this summer. [...]