The cover story for our November issue is Nancy Hiller's Arts & Crafts Sideboard — taken from a classic Harris Lebus design from the beginning of the 20th century, this sideboard features rock solid joinery and beautiful ornament, made with both power and hand tools. Read all about the “Doe's Foot,” a simple workholding accessory for your bench — Christopher Schwarz will show you how it's made and used, and can replace a variety of the standard bench fixtures.
Get inspired and read about the award-winning work submitted for our 2017 PWM Excellence awards, including photos and words from the winners. Follow along and build a traditional double-iron wooden smoothing plane with Steve Voigt, who breaks down the complex geometry and handwork into straightforward, step-by-step operations with simple set of tools. And, James Hamilton returns to make a variety of joinery jigs for his MegaSled (from the October 2017 issue) — with these additions, cutting miters, tenons, finger joints and splines is made easy.
Plus, we review the new Veritas Combination Plane, the Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps and the Robin Wood Axe; in Letters, our editor talks about how nails can be used to allow cross-grain construction; George Walker talks about “Artisan Geometry” and how it relates to the building blocks of design; in Arts & Mysteries, Peter Follansbee teaches us a lesson about hickory and why it needs to be harvested green quickly, before it dries; Bob Flexner shares a few tips about finishing to “Cabinet-grade” quality in Flexner on Finishing; and in End Grain, Bob Rozaieski discusses why form needs to precede adornment and showy woods.