A couple of times this year, I’ve started (& written about) making some of what I called “JA” chairs. https://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/2018/02/11/nostalgic-chairmaking-40-years/ These are shaved ladderback chairs, based on the project in Jennie Alexander’s book (and video) called Make a Chair from a Tree: An Introduction to Working Green Wood. one of the last chairs made by Jennie Alexander & Nathaniel Krause; PF collection  JA chair, from greenwoodworking websiteThis past weekend I was one of the demonstrators at Lie-Nielsen’s Open House ... read more

Beginning with this post, we will announce one Issue Five article each weekday until pre-orders open on August 1st. If you don’t already have a subscription and just wanted to order a copy of Issue Five by itself, you may do so on August 1st. If you signed up for an auto-renewing yearly subscription last year, your card will be automatically charged exactly 365 days from your original purchase date. Any questions about your subscription status can be directed to ... read more

The workshop rang with loud singing, singing full-voiced, deep. The men sang all day, old songs I learned along the way as we planed and sawed, quick wristed, smooth actions in time with the notes of songs. I tried singing low and I did, a bit, now and then, high, high, a break, then low, […] Read the full post Singing Work! on Paul Sellers' Blog. ... read more

You’ll remember a few posts back the old Stanley #101 plane? Since then I’ve made this new cap iron from some brass. (Just a hack saw and files used for shaping). And I’m glad to say this old chap is now back in service; originally made around 120 years ago and repaired by me 120 years later!I was fortunate to have a box of nice 2BA thumb screws knocking about- when I was at the LCF back in the 1970’s, fellow ... read more

Cary, NC actually. The extremely skilled Freddy Roman will be in the Triangle, NC area this weekend for a presentation on Friday, July 20th and a workshop on Saturday and Sunday, July 21st and 22nd, sponsored by the Triangle Woodworkers Association. Freddy Roman apprenticed under master craftsmen Philip C. Lowe at the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts in Beverly, MA. After graduating, Freddy has worked for conservation studios and cabinet shops restoring furniture, making built-ins, kitchens, architectural elements, and reproducing museum ... read more

In the latest issue of Wood News Online, Marshall Knox shares his method for restoring a rocking chair for a client whose Grandfather had built the chair. Marshall discusses his process for fixing the joints in the chair and applying a new finish. Click here to read more! The post Article: Restoring a Rocker appeared first on Woodworking Blog. ... read more

Jennie remains a beacon for me. She was a blessing for anyone who cared to follow in her steps. ... read more

I was surprised by my surprise to the response to the blog post All In a Day’s Recovery. It was in some ways touching and then somewhat saddening too. After seeing the response, since I wrote the draft below, I was further surprised that so many had different points of view. It made me realise […] Read the full post A Response on Paul Sellers' Blog. ... read more

Didn't get much time in the shop tonight because I had to make a phone call. I called my eye doctor to set up getting my cataracts taken care of. When I read anything now - printed medium or on my computer screen - I have to close my right eye and guess at what I see. I was able to read this way but lately the left eye has decided to start going south on me by being blurry ... read more

A good thing about growing up is that once in a while you can recognize a pattern if it has happened before. If you are sufficiently smart - you might even know how to deal with it based on last time you experienced the same thing.If I don't do any sort of woodworking for a month or so out here, I inevitably end up fantasizing about projects whenever I have to stay put in the control room due to the ... read more

The shop was in chaos. Nothing is right when the shop is in chaos.The benches were packed full of project parts and drop offs. The oddities of sorting through my father-in-law's own chaotic tool depository. The pressure of a dozen projects and only decimal points of time to spend on them. We all get there sometimes, things get away from us.Mrs. Wolf and I took a small vacation a bit from home. I drank some bourbon, carved some spoons, shopped ... read more

The shop was in chaos. Nothing is right when the shop is in chaos.The benches were packed full of project parts and drop offs. The oddities of sorting through my father-in-law's own chaotic tool depository. The pressure of a dozen projects and only decimal points of time to spend on them. We all get there sometimes, things get away from us.Mrs. Wolf and I took a small vacation a bit from home. I drank some bourbon, carved some spoons, shopped ... read more

According to my notes, this is my fourth attempt at building an armchair for the expansion of “The Anarchist’s Design Book.” And to be honest, I don’t know how many sketches I made of this design – probably 80 to 100. Some of my designs failed for technical reasons. Others were too complex to ask of a first-time chairmaker. This design, however, presses all the right buttons. It is built with off-the-rack lumber using a toolkit that doesn’t require ... read more

“Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.” Wise and profitable discourse sharpens men’s wits; and those that have ever so much knowledge may by conference have something added to them. It sharpens men’s looks, and, by cheering the spirits, puts a briskness and liveliness into the countenance, and gives a man such an air as shows he is pleased himself and makes him pleasing to those about him ... Men are filed, made smooth, and bright, and fit for business (who ... read more

I am commonly asked why I spend so much time on superfluous furniture projects when there is home improvement I should be doing.  Usually, the honest answer is: “home improvement projects generally suck and I’m procrastinating”.  But every now and again, there is another answer: “because I’m practicing for an important home improvement project”.  And […] ... read more

Many things affect our ability to work wood. As a kid of 13 my experiences were mixed. I learned first that woodworking planes like the #4 Stanley or Record didn’t work; that they didn’t smooth wood but hacked it. I learned that thick, black, heavy pencil lines made the contrast far greater than a thin […] Read the full post Push-Me-Pull You Seesawing on Paul Sellers' Blog. ... read more

I've started gluing up the slab. Because of the weight and size the 10 slats will be glued up 2 at a time. Once I have 5 sets of doubled slats I'll glue 2 of the doubled slats together to make the two sides of the slab and then finally use the remaining doubled slat to tie the two sides together. It will take longer but reference surface clean up will be easier and I will only have to deal ... read more

The H&H decided to come back and say hello today. The weather prognosticators are saying it is coming to stay for a while. But I hardly noticed it today in the shop. It has been a while since I have gone from oh dark thirty to the early afternoon balls to the wall. I made good progress on the cherry bookshelf and had a minor setback. All that did was add another day to completion date for the bookshelf. Too ... read more

For awhile I've chased pre-WWII Marples chisels. That quest may be over. I've a full set of Boxwood handled firmer chisels, a near full set of Boxwood handled paring/pattern maker chisels and gouges, and today I whipped out the AmEx to pay for 10 beautiful Boxwood handled beveled edge chisels all pre-war.If I could find a set of Ash London pattern handle firmer or bevel edge pre-war chisels I would buy but I feel no need to look. A stumble ... read more

Long week. Lots of hours in the office and zero hours in the shed till the weekend. One of those weeks. But, the post kept coming in… Granted, the clamps were a lidl special (but I’ve been using some for the last year and they’re really quite handy – I could use a few more f-clamps and one wooden parallel clamp to help with morticing and I think I’m good after that).… Read the rest ... read more

Looking back at photos of my shop as it was 16 years ago (below), I was struck by the differences from now (above). For example, all of the major machines have been upgraded, and I had yet to install most of the shopmade workbench features that now seem essential. Just as interesting, however, is the […] ... read more

To honor the memory of Jennie Alexander, I am selling my copy of Make a Chair from a Tree, on eBay. Click here to see the listing.This is a 1st edition paperback book that is in very good shape. I hope a young woodworker buys it and discovers the wonders of working green wood!Good luck! ... read more

When we released “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” in 2012, I was still teaching a lot, traveling to tool shows and talking at places such as Woodworking in America. So I heard a lot of comments from readers about Jennie’s transition from being John Alexander to Jennie Alexander. Most of the comments were something like: “What’s the deal with that? Isn’t that creepy? Why’d he do that?” I would bite my tongue to prevent it from blurting ... read more

Taking Control Saturday is the beginning of the weekend for most, at least in our western culture it is. It’s a two-day culmination after a week’s worth of work and it’s  the restoration period allocated for the body and mind for recovery work that requires no input from us. Just as sleep concludes the end […] Read the full post All in a Day’s Recovery on Paul Sellers' Blog. ... read more

Steven Spielberg is not a very good woodworker. ... read more

I read from Chris Schwarz years ago that in woodworking book publishing, bird houses books are among the top sellers, since...forever it seems.Obviously a popular subject, let's take a hint...Its been a long, long time since I made  a birdhouse, but I saw a picture of a whimsical one that I like.so this is what we would do next as a project.Google birdhouse with facesA bit more involved than cutting shape with the scroll saw but why not.So first lesson ... read more

I am fond of using acid brushes – sometimes called “flux brushes” – for spreading glue. And I have used … The post Enough Glue Brushes for 720 Years of Work appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine. ... read more

Part 1 of this build showed the general construction of the plane body.  This post will highlight some shaping details and the work required to get the plane cutting smoothly.But first, I couldn't help but try the plane after it was glued up.First shavings - test cuts were OKAfter the glue had set, I cut off the extra length at each end - the final overall length is 7 1/2".  Then I did some typical shaping of a coffin smoothing ... read more

I found some small pieces of 1/8 thick plywood, cut them up for the kids to draw on it to then cut the shape out on the little saw at the benchThey both wanted to draw their own shapes so sharpen pencil and out you go.Then they quickly decided that it should also be colored.Finally the oldest was able to cut out her shape on the sawShe needed some help with the action. mostly how to hold the piece down ... read more

This job sure entails a diverse range of items, from architectural millwork, sliding doors, to furniture, to windows, and so forth. It’s fun in that respect. I’ve been working on the round window for the Japanese alcove. I considered various ways to make a round window, and in the end decided that glue up from solid segments made the most sense. I chose a decagonal arrangement of pieces as a compromise between grain straightness and overall complexity. After gluing up ... read more