For Those Who Love Books, Travel & Joinery

When I was a kid, I used books to escape from my (boring) Arkansas upbringing. Today, I use books to escape from the drudgery of air travel. Every room in our house is full of books, and there is [...]

Restoration Versus Conservation

Since my post on drawboring last week (read it here), I’ve gotten a number of requests for information about furniture restoration and conservation. One common thread seems to be people [...]

A Shaker Stool For The WorkshopPart 1

I posted a four part series on drawing a Shaker Round Stand. The series was titled The Book of Shaker Furniture by John Kassay – A Treasure Trove for SketchUp Generation Woodworkers. The [...]

Thank You Karl Holtey

An interesting e-mail dropped into my inbox yesterday. Across the top of the message was simple written “Karl Holtey.” Knowing that name, I eagerly opened the message. And if [...]

Coved Doors on the Tablesaw

Coved Doors on the Tablesaw Make beautiful raised panels without a router table and expensive bits. By George Vondriska The tool of choice for most small-shop woodworkers who want [...]

The S-shaped Curve – Oh, Geez

I woke up this morning knowing I had to write a blog post today on the topic of ogees. “Oh, geez,” was my first thought. “I don’t really know what an ogee is.” By noon, after looking at lots of [...]

Compulsory Viking Tool Chest

A few weeks ago, I posted about “Build a Viking Tool Chest,” a start-to-finish instructional DVD (also available as a download) from woodworker and blacksmith Don Weber. He shows you [...]

Improve Hand Plane Performance

There was a time when nearly even adult male in the United States owned a Stanley #4 smooth plane. The one I have was passed down to me by my dad (a chemical engineer) who got it from his dad …

Q & A: Chisel Sharpening Angles

Grind a new 25-degree bevel. Grind all the way up to the leading end. Make sure the end is square within a few degrees. To prevent overheating, frequently dip the chisel in water as you approach [...]