Goodbye, Ego! Hello, Humility!

Whenever I admire a fellow woodworker’s finished piece of furniture, I never ask how they did this or that because, quite simply, I am afraid they are going to tell me. Listening to someone [...]

Boring in the 18th Century

Today’s array of bits has nothing on historical practice. In my attempts to recreate period work, I’ve many times come across the need to make holes that no modern tool can practically create. My [...]

I Am a Couch Builder

The best measure of success comes in the doing. I don’t know if I am alone in this matter, but I have to admit that quite often I consider myself a couch builder. Maybe you know the drill [...]

Getting The Most From Your Spray Gun

The critical parts are the fluid nozzle and air cap. As I have said many times, spray guns are pretty simple tools. By comparison, they aren’t any more difficult to use than a router. Still, [...]

To Build or Buy?

Cost, time, and a spouse’s patience help determine the course of action. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the November 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking.  It’s a [...]

Woodworking Safety 101

Seasoned professionals also benefit from woodworking safety. Regardless of your experience level, it never hurts to review the basics. In fact, I believe there are a number of standard safety [...]

Welcome to Basics Week

A near-universal truth about woodworkers is that they’re always working to improve their craft and expand their skills. That goes for the authors and editors here at Popular Woodworking as [...]

We Try (and Fail) to Make An NFT

A dive into the world of non-fungible tokens reveals what’s real in the world. It seemed like a simple enough idea at the time: let’s make an NFT. Thirty seconds of google quickly [...]

Can You Stain Cherry Without Blotching?

Some straight talk about cherry and blotching. When I opened my furniture-making and restoration shop in 1976, the woods considered best for high-end furniture were walnut and mahogany. Of [...]

The Allure of the New

If all you have is a hammer, well, you might need another hammer. One of my favorite quotes is Baruch’s Observation: If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It seems like an [...]

Wood Too Good to Burn

Look to your firewood pile for plenty of project inspiration. I’ve been cutting up my leftover bits of green wood for firewood to use in my new workshop. It’s not going well. I have a feeling [...]

Explaining Polymerized Oil

Simple in theory, not in the real world. A reader of my blog  asked me to explain what polymerized oil is. So here goes. On one level the explanation is incredibly simple and on another it’s [...]