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This campaign chest has a false bottom and false top. The interior bits are all dovetailed but will never show. You don’t want your chest exploding to bits when it falls off an elephant.Between a dovetailed joint and mere nailing there is a halfway house, dowelling. This construction is useful where skill is limited or price is decisive. It is particularly useful for cabinets housing technical equipment, for example, where an elaborate job is not necessary. A flush corner joint (Fig 237) is weak when dowelled, the holes being too close to the end (Fig 238). This means tops must overhang ends (Fig 239) or ends must be extended above the top (Fig 240). This latter can permit a back rail (Fig 241) which prevents items from slipping down behind. — from “The Essential Woodworker” by Robert Wearing #The_Essential_WoodworkerWe all enjoy getting good deals when purchasing anything, but when shopping for woodcarving tools, invest in good quality, professional, long-handled carving tools from the start. Your carving experience will be much more enjoyable. Budget carving tools tend to be bulky, and are often difficult to sharpen and maintain with a razor edge, as the metal is often substandard. “Gouge” refers to any chisel with a curved edge – because they gouge out wood. I prefer full-length gouges (9" to 11" long) rather than the shorter palm gouges for both safety and control. They are held with both hands, ensuring no skin is on the other side of the blade. One hand is always on the handle, pushing the gouge; the other is always on the metal shank, guiding the gouge. Shorter palm gouges are often held with one hand so the other hand could easily end up on the dangerous side of the blade. Long-handled gouges hopefully prevent bleeding! Fishtail (Gouge): The corners splay out in the shape of a fishtail (sometimes referred to as a fantail). These are my favorite for detail carving, as the sharper corners easily fit into tight areas and the tools are less bulky to hold. — from “Carving the Acanthus Leaf” by Mary May #Carving_the_Acanthus@RudeMechanic on Twitter
- The Best Design Teacher: The Tree blog.lostartpress.com/2019/02/21/the… https://t.co/S0MOHKHyjH 8 hours ago
- Staked Desk Beauty Shots overthewireless.com/2019/02/20/sta… #woodworking #feedly 1 day ago
- Microwave Oven Drying blog.lostartpress.com/2019/02/19/mic… https://t.co/bIdtwHmlai 2 days ago
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Category Archives: Finishing
Finishing Lies
Covers in one coat Protects from inside the wood Stain and polyurethane in one step No harsh fumes – strips multiple layers Danish Oil (ask the Danes about this finish) Spar varnish – exceptional protection from sunlight, rain & moisture … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, Uncategorized
36 Comments
Don Williams! Beeswax! Pollisoirs!
I don’t think I’ve ever used that many exclamation marks… ever. If you are coming to the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool event at Braxton Brewing on Friday or Saturday, look for Don Williams. He’ll be selling his excellent beeswax and mind-blowing … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, Personal Favorites, Uncategorized
2 Comments
Apply Soft Wax to a Carcase
Soft Wax from Christopher Schwarz on Vimeo. Today I applied soft wax to the drawers and carcase of the chest of drawers I recently completed. Because we get so many questions about using the stuff, I shot this short video … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, Uncategorized
9 Comments
Soap Finish: What’s it Like?
The more I use soap finish, the happier I am with it. But many woodworkers are skeptical. And I applaud that. For too long companies have tried to sell us this, that or the other as the “miracle” finish that … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, The Anarchist's Design Book
29 Comments
Soft Wax from the Anarchist’s Daughter
My daughter Katy has an entrepreneurial spirit that is similar to when I started selling “bark jewelry” to neighborhood kids at age 10. Unlike me, Katy is committed to making something useful. During the last few months, Katy and I … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, Personal Favorites, Uncategorized
16 Comments
Milk Paint – Advice and a Mad Chef
In addition to the Milk Paint appendix in the “The Anarchist’s Design Book” there are a few more resources that the new milk painter might find useful: Chapter 25 on Finishing in “Chairmaker’s Notebook” by Peter Galbert, available from Lost … Continue reading
Milk Paint: A Short History
In “The Anarchist’s Design Book,” one appendix is devoted to milk paint. As Chris notes there are plenty of milk paint recipes from the 1800s and provides a reference from 1836, “The Painter’s, Guilder’s and Varnisher’s Manuel…” by Henry Carey Baird. … Continue reading
Posted in Finishing, The Anarchist's Design Book
31 Comments
