Shop Blog

We recently received some new Freud Diablo blades at the magazine to test (two of which will be featured in an upcoming Tool Test in the magazine). The blade is what Diablo calls its Ultimate [...]

I’m currently working on a variation on L & J. G. Stickley’s No. 220 prairie settle. The settle’s three sides consist of frame and panels. Because I’m building a shorter version, I need to [...]

You usually think of scale drawings and models as the starting point for a project. Before you start milling lumber, cutting pieces and assembling parts, you either draw or buy a scaled plan. [...]

While doing some research this morning I stumbled upon some detailed photos of the Hannah Darlington chest (the original was built by Moses Pyle), which Glen D. Huey copied for the cover project [...]

Pedestal Picnic Table One day in the shop and you’re ready to party! By Jean Bartholome If you’re looking for a picnic table that’s simple to build but looks great on your deck [...]

Anyone who has read this blog for more than a week knows I have a thing for campaign-style furniture and the work of André Roubo, the 18th-century French woodworker and writer. Like many other [...]

Whenever I teach a class that involves turning, I like to show them how well the French “polissoir” can finish off your work on the lathe. A polissoir (say it poly-swaar) is a bundle of broom [...]

To celebrate the first day of spring, I bought myself a new tool. It wasn’t just an impulse buy. I had reached a sticking point in my Adirondack chair project the night before. Rather than spend [...]

Learning woodworking isn’t just about “how to” do something. A good example of this comes from my days as an apprentice in a commercial cabinet shop. I entered the experience [...]

Alright, this one's actually from our old Question & Answer department. Clean Up Squeeze Out Q. I saw one of those woodworking wizards on television the other day. As I watched the guy [...]

Q & A: Safely Rough-Cut Twisted Lumber   Q: I buy my lumber rough, and sometimes I get a very twisted or crooked board. What’s a safe way to crosscut and put a straight edge on these [...]

Tomorrow, we’re shooting a cover for a new (and updated) edition of Michael Dunbar’s venerable book, “Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools” (due out [...]