Archives

Mr. Sheffield’s two-year writing slope. About a decade ago, I walked into my English professor’s office for advising and couldn’t take my eyes off of his homemade writing slope. He...

Ease and speed versus the idealization of the past – sometimes. When Lord Acton wrote that “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he was referring to politics, but he could as easily...

This hand surgeon likes meeting fellow woodworkers – but not at work. I long ago lost track of how many people, upon learning of my interest in woodworking, have puzzled...

A lifelong dream of woodworking comes to fruition. I stared up at the silent giant, standing twice as tall as me – polished wood, crystal-clear glass, full of brass gears...

A stay-the-course attitude turns phobia into appreciation. I don’t know many woodworkers who enjoy finishing. We will gladly spend an eternity devising a jig to help with an operation that...

Your early projects don’t have to end up as firewood. When people see the Philadelphia-style secretary I built, they inevitably want to know how long I have been making furniture...

No doubt, you’ll fit right in. A woodworking club offers countless rewards to the aspiring craftsman. It provides a platform for displaying your work. It offers the chance to learn...

So you can’t afford (insert dream tool here). Boo hoo. Hit the flea markets then start making sawdust. Yeah, you heard me. Oh sure, I know exactly how it is....

The best work is often built one piece at a time, so toss your cutlist. I have been in professional piano repair and tuning for more than 30 years. My...

Find woodworking education, fellowship, and shop space at a woodworking guild near you.  I am an avid woodworker. Let me rephrase that. I am an avid woodworker with a chronic...

Most of us share this pathological habit that’s hard to break. I have a problem. A compulsion, really. It’s not as serious as, say, alcoholism, a food addiction, or an...

Youthful energy sparks the experience, but careful work takes time. Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Recently, the [...]