Shop Blog

My family recently took a trip to Lakeside, Ohio, with another family from our neighborhood. It was someone’s idea to pile all of us in the same van to make the four-hour drive across Ohio, [...]

We were disheartened to hear that our friend, avid Beatles fan and MASW woodworking instructor, Zane Powell, is now facing a fight with cancer. The mark of a seasoned woodworker is being able to [...]

Hey, welcome back. It’s me again, Daniel Fishkin. In my first post I introduced you to the musical instrument called the daxophone, and discussed the principles of building its tongues, which are [...]

Teaching is a two-way street. It’s not just for students. As an instructor, you get to peek into the many different ways students use their tools. Since one of the things I teach is digital [...]

One of the most frustrating flaws in a dried finish is bubbles. The trick is to avoid getting them in the first place. If you can’t do this, you need to deal with them when they do occur. They [...]

Anyone who’s ever watched, or seen Frank Klausz speak in public understands that they’re learning from a guy who knows what he’s talking about. Joinery? You bet! He’s [...]

I’ve been working out of town for three of the four last weeks, with precious little time in my shop. So instead of writing about joinery, finishing, or any of the other usual topics, this [...]

While buying some dowels at Menards this weekend I lucked into finding some of the Stanley 175th Anniversary tape measures for $7.99 each. According to Stanley’s website, this product (STHT36175) [...]

Go to your local building supply store, and find a cheap plunger (mine was $3). Then take the handle off and use it for a jam chuck on your lathe – mine gets the most use when reversing hollow [...]

We just published a new episode of I Can Do That! In this episode, I built a small kitchen island for our video producer, Jake Motz. It features a premanufactured top, plywood base and some [...]

Last week I taught a class on how to design and build furniture using reclaimed and scrap wood at Snow Farm School of Crafts. Some students brought a trunk full of scraps from their own shops, [...]

Many a woodworker first encountered a marking gauge in dad or grandpa’s toolbox. We picked it up, played with it, moved the head a bit, thought it was cool – and then put it back. [...]