My blog at Popular Woodworking- Against Perfection, Precision or AccuracyIt’s difficult to argue against perfection in woodworking. That’s because the counter argument is something like: “You’re a hack and can’t get it right, and so you say that your imperfections are intentional.” Or put another way, you can’t be too rich, too thin or have joinery that is too perfect. Here’s how I think about perfection: We now have the technolo […]
- The Case Against Tail VisesIf workbenches were like automobiles, then I’d consider the tail vise to be like the heated seats in a car. They’re an option, of course, but they are by no means standard equipment, like tires. Out of economic necessity, my first three workbenches didn’t have tail vises, and so I was thrilled when I was assigned to review a full-size European workbench with […]
- The Galbert Caliper and my PigheadednessI don’t care for gizmos, jigs and silly accessories. So even though I spend a fair amount of time on the lathe, I resisted purchasing the Galbert Caliper for many years. In its place, I used go/no-go gauges, box wrenches and traditional turning calipers (which are the worst). But while at Handworks this year, I broke down and gave Peter $60 for a Galbert Cal […]
- Be Seated: The Benchcrafted Swing-away SeatSitting at your workbench does not make you lazy. Many times it makes you smart. Chopping out the waste between dovetails requires endurance and patience – especially when building a large piece of casework with drawers. If you sit while chopping, you conserve energy and your eyes are closer to your chisel, improving accuracy. The same goes for mortising whe […]
- Against Perfection, Precision or Accuracy
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![We call assemblies onglet [mitered] when the woodwork is decorated [augmented] with mouldings. You extend the cut-out [errazement] of the tenon on the side of the moulding, the same width of this moulding, which Joiners call growing a beard. The distance from the cut-outs to the end of the lengthened beard is mitered, that is to say, at a 45° angle, Fig. 8.
When the work is of considerable esteem and consequently you wish to assemble it more cleanly, you cut not only the moulding at an angle but also the upright, so that the end wood does not show at either side, and is what we call that assembly on grain. This assembly is made by mortise or by forking, as is necessary, Figs. 9 & 10. — from “With All the Precision Possible” by André-Jacob Roubo; translation by Donald C. Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán & Philippe Lafargue
#Roubo_on_Furniture_Making](https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/c29.0.657.657/19367786_111915416018736_1652549131685593088_n.jpg "We call assemblies onglet [mitered] when the woodwork is decorated [augmented] with mouldings. You extend the cut-out [errazement] of the tenon on the side of the moulding, the same width of this moulding, which Joiners call growing a beard. The distance from the cut-outs to the end of the lengthened beard is mitered, that is to say, at a 45° angle, Fig. 8.
When the work is of considerable esteem and consequently you wish to assemble it more cleanly, you cut not only the moulding at an angle but also the upright, so that the end wood does not show at either side, and is what we call that assembly on grain. This assembly is made by mortise or by forking, as is necessary, Figs. 9 & 10. — from “With All the Precision Possible” by André-Jacob Roubo; translation by Donald C. Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán & Philippe Lafargue
#Roubo_on_Furniture_Making")
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
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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
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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
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‘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
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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
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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
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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
