My blog at Popular Woodworking- Like Your Woodworking Teacher? Maybe You Shouldn’tLast month I taught two short classes in Germany – a rare exception to my vow to avoid teaching and instead focus on new furniture designs. The reason I taught those two classes is quite personal, so I won’t discuss it here. But during the classes I was struck by an odd question I’ve struggled with for 30 years: Is it a good idea for students to personally l […]
- A Different Way to Use a Doe’s FootDuring the last few years, the doe’s foot has become one of my most important workbench appliances. Paired with a holdfast, the doe’s foot can eliminate the need for a tail vise on a workbench. I have about four of these doe’s feet at my bench, and I’ve found some surprising ways to use them. I’ve just finished an article for Popular Woodworking Magazine on […]
- Born to Fail at WoodworkingNo matter how long I work in this craft, there are days when I feel incapable of doing anything correctly. Such as today. Readers love to be reminded that even people who do this every day suffer regular failures. If you like to wallow in other people’s misery, this post is for you. (Also, it shows you how I deal with woodworking despair.) For the last month […]
- Half-moon Winding Sticks – to Make or BuyTwo years ago I wrote about some unusual homemade winding sticks I encountered in North Carolina (read the article here). Instead of using inlay to help broadcast a board’s twisted state to your eyes, these used a pair of half-moon cutouts. They worked brilliantly, perhaps better than any other set I’ve used before. This summer I made myself a quick pair whi […]
- Like Your Woodworking Teacher? Maybe You Shouldn’t
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Author Archives: Kara Uhl
Meet the Author: David Savage
One of the books I am most excited about publishing is David Savage’s “The Intelligent Hand,” which is supposed to be in my hands for editing by the end of the year. As many North American woodworkers are unfamiliar with … Continue reading
Posted in The Intelligent Hand, Uncategorized
11 Comments
‘Making Things Work’ (A Review)
I read most of Nancy R. Hiller’s “Making Things Work: Tales From a Cabinetmaker’s Life” in the laundromat. Our washing machine was broken, parts strewn all over our basement floor while we tried to figure out the problem. Forgive me, … Continue reading
Posted in Making Things Work, Uncategorized
6 Comments
The Rhythm of Work
“The man nowadays who is able to do a job at his own pace is one of the fortunate ones. Then to one he’ll either be a craftsman with a small workshop of his own or a man working at … Continue reading
Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized
6 Comments
The Best Job I Ever Had (A Stolen Headline, But True)
In March, Chris wrote a post titled “The Best Job I Ever Had.” He joined Popular Woodworking Magazine in 1996 as managing editor. I joined the magazine in 2001 as assistant editor, and then moved up to associate editor and, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
4 Comments
Morality and Craftsmanship
“I try to live right. I always try to adhere to what I think is right, and that, to me, is the most important part of creative work. So much of me goes into each piece that I make that … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
9 Comments
Woodworking on a Grand Scale
“The completion of the new altar canopy in St. Paul’s Cathedral in May of this year [1958] was an event of considerable importance in the world of woodwork. This great structure is 54 ft. high by 26 ft. wide and … Continue reading
Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized
3 Comments
A Matter of Proportion
“A craftsman may have an excellent knowledge of the standard measurements for all ordinary articles of furniture and yet fail to produce beauty in his work because of the lack of that artistic perception which we call a sense of … Continue reading
Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized
3 Comments
