The Downside if Up is Sideways
A nervous woodworker is aghast as his best projects arrive from storage. The message “Up”(with a directional arrow, no less) seems unambiguous. When displayed prominently on all four of what [...]
Mom’s Shop
Kite frames to cabinets: A 50-year journey back to woodworking. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2015 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Before mom’s shop [...]
World’s Best-known Tool Cabinet
The amazing tool cabinet of piano-maker Henry O. Studley has fostered intense admiration and contemplation surrounding its origins and creator for nearly three decades. I’ve heard a lot of this [...]
Adventures of a Porch Rocker
Walk down Main Street in Anysmalltown, U.S.A., and people acknowledge your existence from their porch rockers. They don’t have to say anything, just use their body to move the chair in a [...]
Working Memory
Rebuilding a toy chest is a connection to the past and the future. I do not stem from woodworking lineage, at least not the kind you hear about. My dad wasn’t overly handy. While growing up, I [...]
Squirrel Surprise
A project with a bite. This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine How do three carpenters feed an abandoned baby squirrel? Glass dropper in hand, [...]
Becoming a Part of the Woodworking Community
Craft is a part of well-rounded college education. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. I recently moved to Kentucky [...]
When Irony is Unintentionally Built Into a Coffee Table
A Game of Thrones inspired coffee table meets a tragic (and ironic) end.
The Sketchbook of Henry Lapp
An illuminating look at the life of a 19th century country cabinetmaker. Daydreaming in my shop, I’m imagining a warm summer day way back in 1899. Just after supper, Henry Lapp sits at a pine [...]
It’s Not About Perfection
The beauty of utility: coarse and fine combined. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking. One of my favorite pieces of furniture is a [...]
Inheritance
A sharp reminder and remembrance of a life cut short. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking. A chisel roll is an unlikely [...]
It Wasn’t Always Like This
When a family friend recently visited my new cabinet shop, he commented, “Your dad and grandpa would’ve loved this place. It wasn’t always like this!” He meant that although both men were pro [...]
