Why This Detail Was Abandoned

In early Gustav Stickley pieces, doors with divided lights were joined with mitered mullions. It’s an intriguing look, but was used only for a few years. My next project for...

Bound Up On the Topic of Glue

I have never used the right amount of glue , well that’s the way everyone else sees it. Whenever Publisher Steve Shanesy comes in while I’m gluing, he’s bound to...

A Close Look at a Shaker Drawer

The words “always” and “never” will get you in trouble , so you should always endeavor to never use them. During the early stages of learning to cut dovetails, I...

Complete, Utter and Total Fail

Do you like stories about gladiators? How about stories about idiot woodworking editors? This week I was finishing up work on the joined Chinese stool for the cover of the...

Chris Vesper and the Drop Test

With every project there is always some tool that deserves an Academy Award-style acceptance speech. “In building this chest of drawers I’d like to thank my mom for birthing me,...

Fixing a Naughty Nail

Traditional cut nails can be made from pretty soft steel, especially the useful cut headless brads. As a result, you have to be careful when installing them. Here are some...

How I Fix Blown-out Grain

When making through-mortises by hand, one of the occasional problems is that you get a little mallet happy, you drive the mortise chisel a little too deep and you blow...