My blog at Popular Woodworking- The Tools in the Bottom of my Tool ChestThe tools at the bottom of my chest are the heavy and expensive stuff – the planes and saws that get constantly used. At the back of the chest are my moulding planes. And the front wall of my chest has a tool rack that contains the stuff I need to grab without even looking at it. Let’s start with that rack. The Tool Rack From left to right: My […] The post T […]
- A Dovetailing Kit for BeginnersLast week I discussed the Zona Razor Saw and how it’s the ideal saw for beginning dovetailers. It’s just $12 to $15 and cuts extremely well. This saw got me thinking about what other inexpensive tools could fill out the kit for the beginner (or someone who is short on money). So here’s my best shot at this list. I’ve also included (at times) what I think is […]
- The Tools in the Third Till of my Tool ChestThe bottomost till in my chest carries the heavy stuff that isn’t on the floor of the chest, and stuff that doesn’t fit in the top two tills and has migrated downward. Three of my essential planes are here, as are some of my most important measuring equipment. When you keep most of your tools in one chest, little is non-essential material. Let’s begin on the […]
- The Best Dovetail Saw for BeginnersI get asked all the time about which dovetail saw is best for a beginner. It’s a difficult question because saws now come in a crazy variety of prices and configurations, from Japanese dozukis to premium handmade Western saws to well-manufactured mid-range saws. So I usually duck the question and suggest the person try out the saws in our shop and decide for […]
- The Tools in the Bottom of my Tool Chest
Author Archives: Kara Uhl
The Kindness of Christmas
“The return of Christmas is a kind of beacon in the year. Whether it is the Christmas of childhood, full of excitement and a flow of good things, or the Christmas of older folk, woven with memories, or the Christmas … Continue reading
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Trees: What Should a Woodworker Know?
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of blog posts by Richard Jones, who has written a detailed book about timber technology, which is scheduled to be released in early 2018. — Kara Gebhart Uhl What’s the best … Continue reading
Posted in Timber Book by Richard Jones, Uncategorized
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A Review of ‘Carving the Acanthus Leaf’ by Mary May
When I first stepped into one of Mary May’s architectural woodcarving classes, I had some vague notion of what it would be like to carve wood. Though I had some interest (I’m interested in making just about anything with wood), … Continue reading
Richard Jones: My Approach to Writing About Timber Technology
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of blog posts by Richard Jones, who has written a detailed book about timber technology that required hundreds of hours of research, which he talks about here. The book is scheduled … Continue reading
Posted in Timber Book by Richard Jones, Uncategorized
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Richard Jones: Why I Wrote This Book
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts by Richard Jones, who has written a detailed book about timber technology. The book is scheduled to be released in early 2018. — Kara Gebhart Uhl I didn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Timber Book by Richard Jones, Uncategorized
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New Book, New Author: Richard Jones
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts by Richard Jones, who has written a generous and detailed book about trees and their structure, and how this affects the work of furniture makers. As you’ll learn … Continue reading
Posted in Timber Book by Richard Jones
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Passing It On
“Utility furniture is now on the market, and everyone is able to see in what respects it differs from the uncontrolled product, and to form conclusions as to what extent we may expect it to influence furniture design of the … Continue reading
Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized
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