One of the great controversies of modern times, right behind “what’s the best media to sharpen tools on?” and “why can’t/won’t somebody make great tools for [...]
Some of my favorite times are when I get out of the office and teach classes on using SketchUp. If you thoroughly understand what you’re going to build, before you go out to the shop, time [...]
I try to be helpful when readers have a question, but there is one question I’m often asked that I usually refuse to answer. The question relates to some project or drawing I’ve [...]
In the mid-1860s a carpenter in Sussex, England named Ephraim Colman had a brilliant idea, to make a chair with an adjustable back. The idea was sketched by Warrington Taylor, and adapted by [...]
Woodworking can be a solitary and isolating pursuit, and one of the big changes the Internet has brought us is the ability to form connections with other woodworkers from across the country and [...]
I read a column about “professional blogging” the other day that mentioned a blog is the one place in journalism where it’s accepted practice to start with an anecdote about [...]
Earlier this morning, I added the SketchUp models of projects in the February issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine to our 3d Warehouse collection. We do this every issue, and no other [...]
It’s easy to talk yourself out of doing something that’s out of the ordinary. Woodworkers tend to worry and analyze things so much that they often settle for less, when doing things [...]
Quartersawn white oak is one of my favorite woods, and we’re fortunate in Cincinnati that the largest source for this wood in North America is just a couple hours away. Frank Miller Lumber [...]
Whenever I teach a class, at least one student will say to me “you really don’t like measuring, do you?” I don’t dislike measuring, but I try to avoid it whenever I can. [...]
Working on a magazine has some elements of science fiction, particularly in relation to the space/time continuum. Even though it’s late November, I’ve been working on a project for [...]
My favorite tools for 2010 are a couple of vintage Stanley planes, a No. 5 and a No. 3. There isn’t anything special about either one, except for recent history. My son gave me the No. 5 for [...]