My blog at Popular Woodworking- Diagonal Wedges: The How & WhyWhen wedging through-tenons, I prefer to orient the wedge diagonally across the tenon. This is a somewhat atypical way to work, so an explanation is in order. A diagonal wedge has the advantage of closing up any gaps on all four edges of a rectangular mortise. That’s because it pushes the tenon against all four walls of the mortise. The more typical wedge, o […]
- Fit Irregular (Impossible!) Shapes with ‘Ticking Sticks’The trick to fitting wooden pieces into impossible recesses is to learn about “ticking sticks.” These simple sticks – plus a sheet of paper – can make monstrous tasks into a easy job. Here’s how they work. “Ticking sticks” go by many names in the historical record, but they are the best technology for cutting a piece of wood to fit an odd opening. All you ne […]
- Install a Grippy Liner on Your Bench ViseI’m a huge fan of installing a grippy liner on your bench vise. Wood faces grip your work OK. Add the right liner and the grip will become fantastic. Here are some details on choosing and installing a liner. What’s a Good Liner? Most people prefer leather, cork, felt or a rubber such as Crubber. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Peel-and-stick cork is f […]
- The Hardware Drawer of Last ResortSome of you will file this under “Bleeding Obvious,” but few people ever discuss their “junk drawers” in their shops. I call mine: The Hardware Drawer of Last Resort. It has saved my butt a thousand times. Actually, it’s not one drawer. It’s five. The one shown in the photo above is the “random fasteners” drawer. Every time I install some hinges and have ext […]
- Diagonal Wedges: The How & Why
LostArtPress on Instagram
Author Archives: fitz
The ‘Calvin Cobb’ Chapter-Spot Contest Winners Are…
Thanks to everyone who entered the “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker” chapter-spot contest. Some of your (wrong) answers were really funny – so I had a lot of fun going through the responses. Two photos, numbers 7 and 24, flummoxed everyone. … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!
9 Comments
Contest: Photo Fun with Calvin Cobb
If you’ve read “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” by Roy Underhill perhaps you’ve noticed the numbered “chapter spots” – the little images at the beginning of each chapter. (If you haven’t yet read it, well, you should! It’s variously funny, poignant, … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!
29 Comments
First Review of ‘Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker’
J. Norman Reid of Wood News Online reviewed Roy Underhill’s “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker! – A Novel with Measured Drawings” for the most recent issue. Here’s a short excerpt: “Fun, fast-moving and filled with vivid though sometimes arcane period details … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!, Downloads
6 Comments
‘Calvin Cobb’ – The Final Flurry of Proofing
This evening, Christopher sat on his couch, I sat on his floor (so as to better commune with the cats), and we scrutinized the printer proofs of “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” Chris uploaded the handful of corrections just minutes ago, … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!
21 Comments
Old Post Office 1:2000 Scale Model
While you can’t see the inside of Washington, D.C.’s Old Post Office building (and Calvin Cobb’s clocktower workshop) until renovations are complete, for $1.50, you can have your own model. And in fewer than two months, you can “see” the … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!
6 Comments
Even (Some) of the History is Correct!
Today, we got Jode Thompson’s final cover art for “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker! A Novel with Measured Drawings” (thank you Jode – it looks awesome!). But because I’m too much of a tease to share it with you – yet … Continue reading
Posted in Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!
7 Comments
From (Fictional) Workshop to Trump Hotel
The picture above is the clock tower of the Old Post Office building at the corner of Pennsylvania Ave. and 12th Street in Washington, D.C. Calvin Cobb’s workshop is behind the clock faces – so in his shop, he says, … Continue reading
