Jumped into the next project with both feet and I didn't look before I leapt. I made a few changes to the construction after I got the frame glued. It was after it was in the clamps that I saw a better way to do it. It also made the light bulb a bit brighter on how to with the legs. I think I might of come up with a way to have the legs flush on the bottom when... Read more

Awhile back, I published a post about vintage tools with previous owners’ names on them. While it’s fun to imagine (and sometimes deduce) the character of the men who owned and used these tools before they came into my hands, … Continue reading →... Read more

Before tackling the muntin, I thought it prudent to cut the frame’s mortise and tenon joints. With the frame fitted, centering the muntin and measuring for the panels would be much easier. Besides, it would give me more time to figure out what to carve. With the tenons cut, and after using my newly acquired […]... Read more

It’s been a wet summer around here – between above-average rainfall and plenty of damp, foggy mornings (it is dark and rainy as I write this), the ducks in the pond are happy and the wild blackberries are productive. But the most unique (to me) evidence of the year’s trends has been the explosion of mushrooms in the woods. They’re everywhere – bursts of weird, vivid colors and shapes that turn the forest floor into a micro version of an... Read more

Peter Follansbee once joked that I’ll buy any book that is titled “The Furniture of (Blah Blah Blah)” – in which “blah” could be a person, place or time. He’s not entirely incorrect. Of course I love books, reading them, writing them and designing them. And so I am constantly adding to our library, culling the...... Read more

 It is the unplanned things that tend to bite me on the arse. I had an unplanned detour into crazy land just before lunch. All I wanted to do and all I thought I was doing was picking a weed from the hedge row in my driveway. I almost worked through lunch and after I wolfed down what I had for lunch, I was back at it in the driveway pulling weeds. pic taken at 0655The plan was to get this... Read more

A reader named Jason Stick (he claims that’s his real name) pointed out an error in ‘The Stick Chair Book’ that I’d like to point out to you. On page 494 of the chapter on the lowback, the text says the resultant angle for the front legs is 25°, and the resultant for the back...... Read more

WRITTEN BY Charles Harold Hayward Materials Modern methods of furniture construction are largely based on the availability of man-made materials such as reliable plywood, laminated board, chipboard, and hardboard as distinct from natural solid wood. It is not merely that manufacturers prefer the… More... Read more

Just because something is totally out of reach does not mean that is it not worth pursuing. Years back, when I was introduced to wooden spoon carving, I was entranced. These beautiful, sculptural objects were not only intended for practical use, but for a most personal use: eating. Any sculpture that should feel good in the mouth is going to be tricky to get just right. Shaping this complex artifact with the simplest of tools is a task so dependent... Read more

There doesn’t seem to be a lot written about this little pressed metal plane from Stanley, the No.101P. Now better known as the 12-101, and still in production, it is marked as a “small trimming plane”. A pressed steel version of the No.101 thumb block plane (hence the “P”), this plane actually seems nothing like … Continue reading The block planes of superheroes (xii) – Stanley 12-101... Read more

 In February when I had to sign on the ship, the Covid 19 restrictions required that I had to go to Norway and sit for 10 days in a quarantine hotel before flying with the rest of the crew down to Tenerife to meet the ship.  As you might remember, I made a breastplate of leather instead of sitting idle all the time.When I came back, Gustav tested it and found that a few of the pieces were a bit... Read more

It’s a long drive to Kentucky from most places. So we decided to make some short video tours of our storefront so you can see how we have our workshop set up, take a look at our library and even meet Bean the Three-legged Shop Cat™.  Our first tour is of the bench room, which...... Read more

 Started my day by running to the grocery store. I didn't feel like doing it at 0700 but I know I wouldn't like doing it later on. Ran up against a lot of school buses but thankfully I didn't get stuck beyond one making multiple stops. There are 3 schools in the area of the grocery store so there is no way to avoid them. I had to make a few more trips before lunch and I had a few more... Read more

Following the conclusion of Woolley and Wallis’ recent Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks auction, the William and Mary green japanned chest-on-stand (lot 180) predictably rose well above its estimate of GBP8,000 – GBP12,000 (AUD14,960 – AUD22,441; USD11,015 – USD16,523), … Continue reading →... Read more

I hate working in circles. There once was a time that I came at woodworking as an artist – I wanted to experience, to play, to create unfettered by time or convention. Back then I just wanted to be in the shop, regardless of what I accomplished. I loved making shavings and agonizing over tight-fitting dovetails. During the past few years, though, as I’ve learned to walk in the footsteps of the craftsmen before me, I’ve grown weary of this... Read more