Handplanes, Handplanes, Handplanes
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 “Handplanes” is the third-most common topic of question we get at the magazine. (First is “workbenches”…specifically, “What wood should I use to build one?”* Second is “finishing.”) For those just getting into to handplanes, I usually recommend Christopher Schwarz’s article, “Coarse, Medium & Fine” (which first appeared in Woodworking Magazine, and is included in the book “Handplane Essentials.”) And I send it, free. So here it is for you (click […]The post Handplanes, Handplanes, Handplanes appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 31-May-2015
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Making Rabbets with Woodworking Hand Tools
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 If you are just getting started with woodworking hand tools, you will quickly learn that the ability to cutrabbets isessential for making drawers, casework and many other projects. Drawer bottoms usually sit in dados or rabbets, and drawer fronts can be attached to rabbets in the sides. Cabinetmakers cut rabbets into end panelsto accept backs. There are plenty of other applications, so you this should be oneof the first jointsyou […]The post Making Rabbets with Woodworking Hand Tools appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 29-May-2015
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An Intro to Marking Knives: Part One
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 Among the first woodworking tools that I bought were two marking knives. In this entry I will talk about those first knives and the way I use them. In the coming entries, I will show other knives that I own and demonstrate how even a simple utility knife can do a good marking job, in case you dont own a dedicated tool. I first learned about marking knives 19 years […]The post An Intro to Marking Knives: Part One appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 29-May-2015
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Woodworking in America 2015: Kevin Drake
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 For Kevin Drake, founder of Glen-Drake Toolworks and creator of the Tite-Mark marking gauge, the most important factor for successful woodworking is what happens before the tools touch the wood. Understanding how tools work, and constant practice, is the real secret to becoming a better woodworker and it took careers unrelated to woodworking for Drake to learn that. I worked in and out of Los Angeles for 30 years, […]The post Woodworking in America 2015: Kevin Drake appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 28-May-2015
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Mid-century Modern Furniture by Michael Crow
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 For many woodworkers, mid-century modern furniture seems a mass-manufactured mystery. We remember the excesses of the style the kidney-shaped everything, the peg legs and the crappy dowels. But like most furniture styles, mid-century modern is far more complex, interesting and tied to the great tradition of well-built beautiful things. Michael Crow has a new book out on the style that is an excellent introduction to mid-century modern that focuses []The post Mid-century Modern Furniture by Michael Crow appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 27-May-2015
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A Visit with Toshio Odate
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 Most of last week, I was in Connecticut to film a video with teacher, sculptor, author, artist and woodworker (also, excellent chef) Toshio Odate, along with our video editor, David Thiel, and studio manger Ric Deliantoni. I’d prepared (of course) a long list of questions and subjects to discuss with Toshio…but when we turned the cameras on, Toshio started talking, and I could barely get a word in. And that’s […]The post A Visit with Toshio Odate appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 27-May-2015
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Nelson Platform Bench
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 Editor’s note: During his time design director for Herman Miller, George Nelson recruited a series of talented designers including Ray and Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Robert Propst and Alexander Gerard. During Nelson’s tenure, Herman Miller produced numerous iconicdesigns including, the Eams Lounge Chair, Marshmallow Sofa and Noguchi coffee table. And, as the literal foundation for the modern cabinetry systemfeatured in Herman Miller’s 1948 catalog, George Nelson’s own platform bench is […]The post Nelson Platform Bench appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 23-May-2015
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Cheap Saws Part 2
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 In Part 1, I discussed my reasons for owning disposable saws. Here are some other considerations, including cost. First, please don’t assume this is a knock at quality saw makers. There are many who are producing top-notch products, and vintage saws can be restored as perfect users. But if you’re an occasional sawyer… The photo above an extreme case, but does illustrate a point. I could purchase 10 saws for […]The post Cheap Saws Part 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 22-May-2015
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Fixing Splits with Pocket Screws
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 When I have a visible split in a large slab tabletop, Ill stabilize it with a wooden key, like I described here last week. But when it comes to the underside of a slab, I prefer to use a little pocket-hole jig to make a fast repair that is adjustable and easily removed if need be. Keep in mind that Im not trying to close the split just keep […]The post Fixing Splits with Pocket Screws appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 22-May-2015
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Make an Auxiliary Vise Jaw to Hold Awkward Pieces
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 How often have you tried to clamp a tapered, oval, or round workpiece in your vise and wished that one of the vises jaws would conform to the shape of the part you are clamping? It happened to me quite often and at one point (five years ago to be exact), after using a Wilton vise with a pivoting jaw for the first time, I came up with a solution. […]The post Make an Auxiliary Vise Jaw to Hold Awkward Pieces appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 21-May-2015
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Q & A: Is Construction Lumber Good For Furniture?
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 You cant use this wood as it is. Youve got to do some selective cutting first and then dry out the wood before making furniture with it.The post Q & A: Is Construction Lumber Good For Furniture? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 21-May-2015
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Cheap Saws Part 1
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 I like to be honest about sharing what works well for me, even if that view might be unpopular: I sometimes recommend saws of the disposable type. And this and my following post, I’ll justify that. It can be a hard sell; “disposable” is a big mental hurdle to overcome so I’ll deal with that first. When these saws become blunt they cannot be sharpened. But when most of […]The post Cheap Saws – Part 1 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 19-May-2015
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Hand Tools vs Power Tools for Beginners
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 Do you start a kid (or kid at heart) down the woodworking rabbit hole via hand tools, power tools or both? The more time I spend teaching woodworking, observing students learning and contemplating the woodworking teaching process, the more Im leaning toward the idea that power-tools should be eliminated, or drastically reduced particularly for young woodworkers. I am not against power tools at all. In fact, Ill only give […]The post Hand Tools vs Power Tools for Beginners appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 19-May-2015
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The Dovetail Doctor: The Sterling Dovetailing Ruler
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 When cutting precision joinery by hand, sometimes a joint thats off by a fraction of a degree is the difference between it seating or splitting apart. When diagnosing joinery problems of students, I use a vintage diemakers square (I wrote about this in 2013 here). It allows me to sneak into places no normal square can go and is more accurate than my eyeball. Diemakers squares can be expensive, so […]The post The Dovetail Doctor: The Sterling Dovetailing Ruler appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 19-May-2015
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18th-Century Furniture Details 5 Classic Projects (& 4 Secret Drawers)
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 One question to ask of any style is whether it can stand the test of time. Leather motorcycle jacket? Sure. Red satin disco jacket? No. This holds true withfurniture. When it comes to woodworking,18th-century furniture is perennially popular. Many 18th-century pieces are like the leather motorcycle jacket; they’re stylish, but serve a practical purpose. A spice chest will build your joinery skills, but the multiple drawers sometimes hidden […]The post ’18th-Century Furniture’ Details 5 Classic Projects (& 4 Secret Drawers) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 16-May-2015
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Bill Anderson Knows Moulding Planes
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 In Choosing, Refurbishing & Using Moulding Planes, Bill walks you through the classifications of moulding planes, discusses what to look for when shopping and then takes you step-by-step through the process to bring the iron back to cutting shape (and how to make a new iron if its missing).The post Bill Anderson Knows Moulding Planes appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 15-May-2015
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An Interview with Tom Fidgen
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 Woodworking author and instructor Tom Fidgen is the mastermind behind the Unplugged Woodshop web site,the online hand tool woodworking school An Unplugged Life,and author of two bestselling books: “Made by Hand”(currently available at ShopWoodworking.com)and “The Unplugged Woodshop” (Taunton). He teaches woodworking with hand tools internationally. This September Fidgen will be teaching at Woodworking In America. His sessions will cover thekerfing planeandresawing by hand and handsaw essentials (both using hand/panel saws […]The post An Interview with Tom Fidgen appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:03am on 14-May-2015
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Q & A: Low-Angle Planes Provide Versatility
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 A Low-angle bench planes allow you to change the blades effective cutting angle to suit specific tasks. Because the bevel points up on a low-angle plane, the effective cutting angle can be varied based on the irons bevel angle. The post Q & A: Low-Angle Planes Provide Versatility appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 13-May-2015
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Darrell Pearts Arched Aurora Nightstand
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 In “Gravity by Design” (June 2015, Issue 218), Darrell Peart shares his thought on how the bottom of a piece is the most interesting and telling how what’s at the ground level (or close to it) has a significant effect on the design as a whole. One of the furniture pieces Darrell employs to illustrate his theory is the Aurora Desk a pedestal desk of his own design […]The post Darrell Pearts ‘Arched Aurora Nightstand’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 13-May-2015
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Stop Splits with a Wooden Key
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 Most repairs to furniture during the construction process are a drag because I am kicking myself for making an error in the first place. Not so when adding wooden keys to a slab tabletop. Big wood tends to split. And left unchecked, the split can continue to open during the seasonal expansion and contraction cycle. The traditional fix is a wooden key that looks like two dovetails kissing. Or a […]The post Stop Splits with a Wooden Key appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 12-May-2015
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Upsetting Upsets
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 Wood, being a natural product, is not without it’s defects. Many are obvious and some (such as the upset above) can be harder to detect. I’ve always known them to be called an “upset” but “thunder shakes” and “compression failure” are also terms used to describe it. The thing I hate about upsets is how hard they can be to detect, especially when the wood is rough-sawn. Most often I […]The post Upsetting ‘Upsets’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 12-May-2015
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Spaghetti, Q-Tip or Toothpick?
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 Last week I wrote about our baby boys first workbench, which is more of an amusement park than a real bench. Today I am going to show you his next bench. Soon after baby Asher got his Fisher Price bench, coincidence brought about his first semi-true workbench a wooden one we found on the street in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was part of a group of items left available for […]The post Spaghetti, Q-Tip or Toothpick? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 11-May-2015
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I Can Do That
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 For Chad Stanton, professional furniture maker and licensed contractor and the host of the “I Can Do That” (ICDT) series a chance encounter showed him that he was on the right track with thesimple projects and techniques he teaches in these videoa. Afterreturning to his home in Toledo after taping several ICDT episodes, Chad was unloading a project when a neighbor spotted it and immediately offered to […]The post ‘I Can Do That’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 09-May-2015
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Small Shop Tip: Portable Miter Saw Station
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 When Im not using my miter saw station, I simply remove the saw and stand the 2x12 on end, secured against a wall. The whole setup cost me about $50.The post Small Shop Tip: Portable Miter Saw Station appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 08-May-2015
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Q & A: How Do I Get Rust Off My Saw?
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 Turn on the sander and exert just enough pressure to keep the pad in place.The rust should be gone in a matter of seconds.The post Q & A: How Do I Get Rust Off My Saw? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 08-May-2015
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New No. 2 Tote; New Finish
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 This weekend I drew up the plans to make a new tote for my No. 2 plane, and I realized I need to order a $10 drill bit to do the job. So instead I decided to modify the existing tote to see how far I could take it. After studying the tote for the No. 2-sized Millers Falls tote, I drew some lines on the existing tote and fetched […]The post New No. 2 Tote; New Finish appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:03am on 05-May-2015
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Risom Coffee Table
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 Editor’s note: The measured drawings for the Risom coffee table in this article by Michael Crow are similar to the shop drawings includedin Crow’s new book, “Mid-Century Modern Furniture.” The book presents shop drawings and techniques for creating 29 projects designed by some of the era’s foremost designers, including Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, George Nelson and many others. The book is available in paperback for preorder and available now as […]The post Risom Coffee Table appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:03am on 05-May-2015
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A New Trick With Alcohol (Without Jail Time)
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 One of the Tricks of the Trade in the June 2015 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine discusses how you can use denatured alcohol to stop crumbling end grain while chopping out dovetails. The trick states its best for softwoods, which is where you see the most crumbling. As my students are always worried about this aspect of their dovetails, I decided to give it a try today in some finger […]The post A New Trick With Alcohol (Without Jail Time) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:03am on 05-May-2015
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Buttoned Uper, Down
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 It’s such a proven and simple method for attaching a top to some framing: Buttons allow a solid timber top to move with the seasons, with no risk of splitting. And while it’s true some furniture is not exposed to the ravages of extreme moisture and could well survive with some skewed screws through the rails, it still makes sense to button. Who knows what fate might befit the piece […]The post Buttoned Up…er, Down appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 02-May-2015
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5 Minutes Peace
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 After the hustle and bustle of the day, taking a few minutes out and having some quiet time can be welcome relief. Everyone had just left the workshop and I had a few short minutes before my expected arrival home for tea. There was just enough time to get to my bench to fix the top on my table. It’s just a dry-fit; I’ll take it off when the finish […]The post 5 Minutes’ Peace appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 02-May-2015
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Getting Started in Woodworking
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 In 1969, power tools arrived as part of my Christmas haul. Now, some might say that an 8-year-old should not be using a circular saw, jigsaw or power drill. Maybe but times were different then. The Ideal Toy Company’s Powermite line of miniature power tools didn’t have enough power to do much damage (I tested the circular saw on my little brother), but it gave me hours of fun. The […]The post Getting Started in Woodworking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 02-May-2015
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Q & A: Switch to a Band Saw
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 Use a bandsaw, not a tablesaw. Its not good shop practice to rip a board less than 12 in. long on the tablesaw because it may kick back at you.The post Q & A: Switch to a Band Saw appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 01-May-2015
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Baby Steps into Woodworking
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 Working wood is a labor of love for me. I admire the trees that provide this unique and ever-changing resource. I love the tools that allow us to shape lumber into objects of beauty and use. I revere the books that teach us how to make good use of the raw materials and tools. I am excited to learn about the history of furniture making and to see exciting developments […]The post Baby Steps into Woodworking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 01-May-2015
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Are You Suffering From Smoothing Plane Bloat?
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Among the smoothing planes that Stanley Works made (which includes the Nos. 1 to 4), the company sold far more No. 4s than any other size, according to Stanley collectors. That was my rationale for buying a No. 4 many years ago. I still think its a good size for a handplane, with a 9-1/2-long sole and 2-wide iron, which allows you to use the iron in the No. 5 […]The post Are You Suffering From Smoothing Plane Bloat? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 01-May-2015
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