Category Archives: Projects

I Can’t Find the Item Number for That

Posted on July 20, 2010 by

One of the few truths in woodworking is this: The hardware you choose is as important as the boards you select, the joinery you use and the finish you apply. Cheap, mismatched or poorly scaled hardware will ruin a piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects | 6 Comments

Gallons of Garbage

Posted on July 13, 2010 by

Last year my spouse did something completely insane for my birthday: She bought me something I asked for (but I really should not have). It was a used bourbon barrel – white oak, banded in steel hoops and charred on … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects | 12 Comments

Footwork and Casework

Posted on November 14, 2009 by

One of the interesting things about the “Joiner and Cabinet Maker” are the construction details you can find in almost every sentence. I’ve read the book at least six times now, and every time I dip into the text I … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Techniques | 3 Comments

Faithful Reproductions for the Faithful

Posted on June 16, 2009 by

This summer I’m building a few reproductions of pieces from the White Water Shaker Village that I will donate to the village’s caretakers. I want these reproductions to be as faithful as possible, but I’m wondering just how far I … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects | 15 Comments

The Perfect Hand-tool Wood

Posted on May 23, 2009 by

A couple years ago there was a kid in Iowa who was trying to learn to use hand tools. He had no teachers, just a few books and limited access to the Internet. But he had a phone. So he’d … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Techniques | 11 Comments

When You Cannot Reproduce

Posted on December 11, 2008 by

Sometimes when I look at old pieces of furniture, I can convince myself that perhaps old-growth timber is like melamine. It just doesn’t move with the seasons like modern wood does. What else can explain the survival of so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects | 10 Comments

Shaker Oval Boxes – Old Style

Posted on March 8, 2008 by

When I build too much stuff with straight lines, it starts to make me a little batty. So after finishing a blanket chest and a gaggle of sawbenches, I retreated into my quick, easy and curvy place. No, it’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects | 8 Comments

Free Construction Drawings for the 2008 Sawbench

Posted on February 17, 2008 by

Thanks to expert mousing and clicking of two readers, you can download free construction drawings of the 2008 version of the sawbench featured here last week. Louis Bois, the draughtsman who prepared the construction drawings for the “Workbenches” book, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Downloads, Projects, Saws | 3 Comments

This Year’s Model: The 2008 Sawbench

Posted on February 10, 2008 by

I end up giving away all of the sawbenches I build to woodworkers who give me those wet, doe-eye looks that say, “I don’t think I can build one.” That’s ridiculous, of course, because these things are as easy to … Continue reading →

Posted in Projects, Saws | 13 Comments

Gluebeard

Posted on November 5, 2007 by

In high school I played racquetball every day — sometimes for four or five hours a at a time. But the funny thing was, no matter how much I played, I never got any better unless I was matched against … Continue reading →

Posted in Finishing, Projects | 2 Comments