The best words of advice I’ve heard sound simple until you give them some thought. Here are three things to consider. “Good beekeepers have to figure some things out for themselves.” This was a simple statement made by a beekeeper and mother to her teenaged woodworker who was struggling with sharpening, setting up a handplane …
One of the best parts of this job is answering angry emails from disgruntled people. Hahaha. Just kidding. One of best parts of this job is working with independent artisans and artists to do stuff that would make my former corporate overlords crap their Brooks Brothers suits. This month we’ve been working with the supremely …
Japanese planes and the surface they promised to give. That is the goal. The shimmering hand-wrought surface that only a cutting iron in a handplane can give. I am hanging on for this, as it fits my need to put clear blue water between my furniture and the robot-driven, manufactured surface. That routine, intimidating perfection …
A British Introduction to Japanese Planes, Part 2 – Read More »
Roy Underhill announced he will close his Woodwright’s School in Pittsboro, N.C., at the end of the 2023 season. But this is not the end of the school or his career as a woodworking educator. There is a new television show under discussion. Plus his school may appear in another location or in another guise. …
The following is excerpted from “The Woodworker: The Charles H. Hayward Years,” Vol. 4, which covers three different topics. 1) The Workshop, including the design and construction of workbenches, tool chests and wall cabinets. There’s also an entire section devoted to “appliances,”which are workshop accessories such as shooting boards. 2) Furniture & its Details, includes …
When you start exploring the world that exists outside of 90°, it helps to have a couple tools to help you navigate the journey. One of those tools is a sliding bevel. The other nice one is a “tilt box” or “digital inclinometer.” These little boxes allow you to set your machinery to a precise …
Anarchist Gift Guide Day 10: Beall Digital Inclinometer – Read More »
It’s a good thing my wife doesn’t read my blog because what I’m about to tell you would probably force me into sleeping on the couch for a week. I’ve always wanted a tattoo. I don’t know why. It must be the redneck in me. Today I got the next best thing to a tattoo. …
This seven-stick comb-back chair was built using red oak during my most recent chairmaking class. It is being offered at a discount because of a couple small cosmetic issues (which most people will not notice). This chair is one of my newer designs, which uses a four-piece arm (for stability) and a thin shoe, which …
For Sale: Red Oak Seven-stick Comb-back Chair – Read More »
Fig. 95a Fig 95a and 95b. Mortice and tenon joint. In a basic stool or table, two rails are joined into the top of each leg by means of a mortice and tenon joint. Either the legs or rails may be marked out first. In this construction, the rails are marked out. In a table …
When Leatherman released its first multi-tool, I immediately bought one. I can’t tell you how many times I have been stuck somewhere without a set of tools. The Leatherman seemed to be a great stop-gap for when you needed some makeshift pliers, or a screwdriver, knife or file. But after using it a few times, …
Anarchist Gift Guide Day 7: Leatherman Skeletool – Read More »