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There are a few contradictions in the daily life of an online editor at F&W Media. Sometimes I wrestle with some confusing questions. Is woodworking popular, or is that just a catchy combination of words for a magazine title? Does the amount of time you spend looking at a screen directly increase your abilities in the shop? How do we get young, digitally savvy people interested in building things? Or, in other words, is there such a thing as cool woodworking projects?
Not just for reasons of job security, I’m going to answer “yes” to all of the above questions. But the rubber really meets the road at that last one – on project plans. There are tons of people, of all ages, interested in building things. We all started with the little plastic building blocks made in Denmark. We’ve grown a bit more mature and now we’re out hunting the web for a grown-up equivalent. The only real stipulation is it has to be cool! Well, here are three Popular Woodworking projects to choose from – and they even go on sale this Wednesday. So stock up!
Cool Woodworking Projects from F&W Media (Not an Oxymoronic List)
1. The project that will make you say to your sweetheart, “You really won the dude (or dudette) lottery when you found me!” This project is a confidence builder. It looks great and it works great. You’ve seen me blogging about it for a few months, most recently for its potential as a nice piece of furniture. Best of all, it only takes two days and a super-short list of tools. Click here to read and watch more about the “Two-day Traditional Tool Chest!”
Cool woodworking projects basically look like this.
2. The project where Robert Lang sports an awesome mane and beard. I haven’t built this one yet, but I am in the market for a new workbench, and I’m starting to lean 21st-century. Bob hit it out of the park with this design, combining elements from Roubo-style benches with his own take on hybrid woodworking. It’s also a knock-down bench, which means you can take it on the road with you. Click here to see the Bob at his coolest and to buy the “21st-century Workbench” project!
3. The project where Mario Rodriguez goes Biedermeier on you. Come on. You think smooth was just invented yesterday? They had smooth going like crazy back in Europe while we were still hacking away at the western forests. Just look at the lines on the “Elegant Writing Desk” if you need any proof. I suppose you could attribute it entirely to Mario – he is pretty cool, actually – but it is a great example of an updated classic!
Classic joinery (also known as woodworking) never goes out of style. What are the coolest projects you’ve completed recently?
–Dan Farnbach
