The Theory of Chisel Monogamy

When I teach woodworking, I talk a lot about monogamy. Not to your spouse (that’s your problem) but to your tools. I think it’s easier to learn to saw, sharpen and plane boards if you don’t jump [...]

On the Precision of Chisels

When it comes to doing precision work that has to be performed over and over again, it’s easy to fall into the siren whine of the router. The router is probably my least-favorite woodworking [...]

Friday’s Tip for July 5th

Thickness Gauge I use this handy device constantly to check and compare thickness on a variety of projects. Slide the gauge over the edge of the stock, keeping the graduated edge flat on the [...]

Is SketchUp Bugging You?

My job is to post weekly, here on the American Woodworker Contributor's Blogs, on a SketchUp topic I think will be of interest to the readers. I would very much like to encourage readers to [...]

Triangle Woodworkers Learn the Secret

Last week I spent a few days in the Raleigh-Durham area with the Triangle Woodworkers Association. Friday night the club gathered for its monthly meeting where I did a presentation on secret [...]

Keep Inlay Color-free

I get a fair amount of finishing questions. Recently, most questions that come my way ask how to finish a project that has inlay without heavily affecting the contrast between the project wood [...]

A Misunderstood Heart

Here’s a lie I heard once at a lumberyard: When picking out boards, you should always choose ones that have the heart – or pith – in them because that is the strongest part of the tree. Those [...]

Q & A: Clean Bandsaw Tires

Q & A: Clean Bandsaw Tires   Q: My bandsaw tires have a buildup of pitch and sawdust that seems to be embedded right into the rubber. What’s the best way to clean my tires? A: An [...]

Four Great Router Table Plans

The day after tomorrow is Independence Day, and there’s nothing more independent than building out your own workshop. Workshop projects are a double bonus because you save money by building [...]