This woven bench is a simple project to build, and is elegant enough to fit in any decor. The Shakers were incredibly inventive, not just of the furniture they designed, but of their techniques with which it was assembled. As a craftsman, I’ve been interested in working my own inventiveness, but utilizing that which they’ve…

Inspired by the agricultural tools of rural England, this massive oak table is awash in hand-worked details. As a young fellow growing up in the countryside of Wales, I clambered over many a farm wagon, climbed into many a loft in barns that were jointed and pegged, and tripped over many a hay rake on…

The late Thomas Moser popularized Shaker design. This side table is my ode to him and his contributions to the woodworking community. Project #2508 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 4 Hours • Cost: $20 Inspiration in your woodworking journey can come from many different places. One of my inspirations has always been furniture designer…

An expert woodworker talks about what really gets him excited. One of my first trips to see firsthand the furniture of Charles and Henry Greene, two early 20th century architects from Pasadena, California, was innocent enough: I took a sightseer’s tour of the house they built in 1908 for David Gamble. I came away a…

David Fleming, a former English teacher turned chairmaker, teaches the craft of building chairs on the edge of the Canadian wilderness. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the November 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. After eight hours of a complete physical and mental workout, the seat of my Welsh stick chair is finally…

Building by eye to recreate a classic. Almost 15 years ago when I was writing Pleasant Hill Shaker Furniture I fell in love with several pieces of furniture originating in that 19th century Shaker community, each of which represented what I saw as a near perfect expression of the Pleasant Hill aesthetic. Among those, in…

This shaker-style workbench combines cabinet storage underneath with a generous work surface up top. Traditional Shaker workbenches appeal to me for two reasons. First, the long wide top offers space enough to work on almost any project, with enough room left over for everything else that we all find essential and keep ready to hand…

Upgrade your bench and your woodworking by adding a classic vise. You can do without a tail vise. But you can do much more with one. That’s why woodworkers have depended on tail vises for over 400 years. A tail vise can be used to clamp boards of all sizes horizontally or vertically for planing,…

With $120 in lumber and two days, you can build this sturdy stowaway bench. Many knockdown workbenches suffer from unfortunate compromises. Inexpensive commercial benches that can be knocked down for shipping use skimpy hardware and thin components to reduce shipping weight. The result is that the bench never feels sturdy. Plus, assembly usually takes a…

In order to keep my bench clear for working, yet have the tools I need close at hand, I came up with this stowable mounting system. Each of my bench tools is mounted on a board with slotted guide bars that ride on dowels. When the tool is in use, the board locks in position…

Make your bench indispensable. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Christopher Schwarz has published numerous articles on workbenches since then, and his thoughts have evolved on some of the topics discussed here. Still, this is a good guideline for anyone looking to upgrade the workbench in…

In 2005, I loaned my French workbench to a friend to use in his booth at a woodworking show. As I rolled the 350-pound behemoth onto the show’s floor, I heard a couple wolf whistles (really?), then one of the show’s vendors stopped me. “How much for the bench,” he asked. I didn’t know what…

Make accurate and safe crosscuts with ease – and set the stage for clever accessories Most power-tool woodworkers have at least one table saw sled. And while a sled can make your work safer and more accurate, a well-thought-out sled can also do much more. Sometimes I call this one the “MegaSled,” other times the…

This shaker-style workbench combines cabinet storage underneath with a generous work surface up top. Traditional Shaker workbenches appeal to me for two reasons. First, the long wide top offers space enough to work on almost any project, with enough room left over for everything else that we all find essential and keep ready to hand…

This traditional plane is a fun way to cut grooves, and can be made in half of a day. The grooving plane is a hand tool that is faster than a power tool that will do the same task. Not to mention, the curls are incredibly enjoyable. This project is designed so that a beginner…

There’s something undeniably special about a gift made by hand; especially when it’s crafted from wood. DIY woodworking gifts are a way to share your skill, creativity, and time with the people you care about. From simple weekend projects to more involved builds, handmade wooden gifts have a charm that store-bought items can’t match. No…

This knockdown shave horse from Amy Pate is small-shop friendly and perfect for apartment woodworkers. Learn to make this useful shop project.

The original factory cart I built has served me well for many years, primarily carrying lumber, toolboxes, machines, and various supplies. However, as space has become even more constrained in my two-car garage shop, I realized I needed to maximize vertical storage. My solution was to integrate a full-scale steel shelving rack directly onto the…

An ideal first project for working with green wood. This little sled is a perfect introduction to the age-old tradition of working green wood. Building it is a completely satisfying experience, from beginning to end: you start by cutting down a tree and end by playing with kids in the snow. Along the way, you’ll…

These distinctive gifts are easy to make in multiples. Here’s a clever way to give all your friends genuine handmade woodworking tools. The materials for these little gems cost next to nothing and they don’t take long to make, because they’re designed for producing in small production runs. Working with small pieces can be tricky,…

Professional-sized ladder golf sets are larger and more robust than the chintzy ones you usually find in yard game kits. This project is a great way to use some long skinny scrap pieces too.  I love playing ladder ball (ladder toss or ladder golf in some circles) but I got sick of my cheap store-bought…