“Mechanic’s Companion” is one of the foundational English-language texts in woodworking and the building trades. First published in 1812, “Mechanic’s Companion” is an invaluable and thorough treatment of techniques, with 40 plates that provide an excellent and detailed look at the tools of the time, along with a straightforward chapter on the geometry instruction necessary …
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The following is excerpted from “Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley,” by Donald C. Williams, Photographs by Narayan Nayar. Note: In the book, this chapter includes many more images of the astounding details in this storied tool cabinet. My late colleague and dear friend Melvin J. Wachowiak, Jr. once remarked that …
Artistic Flourishes in the Studley Tool Cabinet – Read More »
If you are an accomplished finisher, stop reading right here. There’s nothing for you below. I hear there are some funny new movies of monkeys ironing linen shorts at YouTube. This week I’m applying many thin coats of varnish to a chest of drawers that I’ve been building during nights and weekends at my shop …
Finishing Tips: A Built-in Tack Rag and Better Gloves – Read More »
We have just sent our latest book, “Country Woodcraft: Then & Now” by Drew Langsner, to the printer and have opened pre-publication ordering. If you order the book before it arrives in the warehouse in early November, you will receive a free pdf of the book at checkout. The book is $39 and a whopping …
I’ve just been informed that my book “Handplane Essentials” (F+W Media) will not be reprinted, either in paperback or hardbound. It will, however, continue to be available as a downloadable pdf. So the following announcement is a public service. Full disclosure: I’ve never received royalties from writing that book – I was an employee of …
‘Handplane Essentials’ Going out of Print – Read More »
On Saturday, Chris Schwarz and I had our biennial chair conversation. I subjected him to a mind probe about his recently purchased a Welsh stick chair and an Irish Gibson stick chair he is currently building. Suzanne: Please confirm if you have more Welsh chairs (made by other chairmakers) than house cats. Chris: We are …
Writing a book isn’t hard. Anyone can write a book. The real trick is this: Once you start, can you stop writing a book? That’s exactly where I am. I’ve already built four additional chairs than I had originally planned to make for my next book, and today I eyed the walnut chair coming together …
Making Book Part 19: Dye My Underwear & Learn to Live Within my Limitations – Read More »
This is a tricky topic to discuss. Good teaching can resemble abuse – at least from the outside. But I don’t think that good teachers ever actually abuse their students. Instead, I found that my best teachers were both scrupulously fair and uncompromising. For me, as a student, that was the combination that worked. During …
I really shouldn’t write about stave churches. First off, it’s really way too much for a blog post. Second, I’m not an expert. I’m just an awestruck fan. Also, there are doctoral theses, documentaries, articles, research projects, books, lectures, artworks and chock-full web pages that you can scroll through that will tickle your fancy for …