Take it Easy for Workbench Tops
When working with construction grade timber, aside from the knots, you’ll more than likely find “eased edges.” You could be concerned that things won’t look good, or have [...]
Add a New Skill (Leaded Glass) to Your Shop!
While growing up I had never been enamored of stained or leaded glass in my home furnishings – Tiffany glass lamps were usually a bit too frilly for my tastes. But that all changed when I [...]
Free Download: ‘Atkins Saw Book for Home Craftsmen’
Shortly before my friend Carl Bilderback died last year, he gave me a carload of woodworking books, catalogs and other ephemera that he had amassed during a lifetime of tool collecting and [...]
The Best Mortise and Tenon Tools for Your Project
What are the best mortise and tenon tools to use for your project? This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine as “4 Way to Make a [...]
Using Solvents to Date Furniture
Editors note: Bob Flexner’s blog will move to the Flexner on Finishing Blog at the end of April. You can find it here. A few years ago I was called to a long-time client’s house to look at a [...]
New Handles For a Mid-century Walnut Dresser: Part 1
Read Part 2 Here The dresser A few months ago I received an email form a person who wanted to know if I could build two walnut handles for a Mid-Century walnut dresser that she cherished. She [...]
Pocket Screws: The Mightiest Little Clamp
I don’t have enough elitism in my bloodstream to poop on pocket screws too much. For starters, they are incredibly ingenious and allow people to build things with only a handful of tools and [...]
Rejuvenating Old Finishes
Editors note: Bob Flexner’s blog will move to the Flexner on Finishing Blog at the end of April. You can find it here. Just because a finish is old and deteriorated, you don’t necessarily [...]
Making a Workbench – Part 1
I am really pleased to have this workbench project done. As I’m not a avid SketchUp user and my drawing skills are not like Yoav’s, I felt the only sensible way to share a project was [...]
Woodworking Advice from the Food Industry
Making good food is a lot like making good furniture – you need good raw materials, skill and a decent set of basic tools. Last weekend I was talking to my brother-in-law about his job, which is [...]
Dumb Woodworking Mistakes
A friend was recently making a rolling cart for his kitchen using a slab of butcherblock and an industrial metal cart on wheels. But he ran into trouble. Instead of measuring from center to [...]
Sawing Curves with a Straight Blade Saw
Is it possible to make an arched rabbet, dado or a groove without an electric router? Well.. two years ago I experimented with a hand tool technique that allowed me to create all the above and [...]
