My blog at Popular Woodworking- Sketch Your Way to Better DesignsOne of my best woodworking tools is one I don’t write about much: my sketchbook. It’s an inexpensive spiral-bound thing I get at the grocery store, right by the romance novels. It’s always in my bag when I travel, and it’s on my lap when I’m “encouraged” to watch “Project Runway” with my lovely wife. I keep a mechanical pencil clipped to its metal spirals an […]
- The Workbench X-FilesDuring the last decade I’ve amassed hundreds of images of early workbenches as part of my research into pre-industrial woodworking. Inevitably, some of the images don’t make a lot of sense and now populate a folder named: X-Files. These workbenches are from paintings and their features might be the result of a painter who doesn’t know much about woodworking. […]
- All Hail the Versatile Doe’s FootThe doe’s foot – a block of wood with a “V” cut into it – is one of the most versatile and cheap appliances for your workbench. I have an article about this little gizmo coming up in the next issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine (look for it in the November 2017 issue, or perhaps subscribe). I work with a lot of odd-shaped parts, especially when I build cha […]
- Dugout Chair Part 5, Ready for SculptingAfter sculpting the backrest of this dugout chair with a chainsaw, I noticed two things. One, the chair is about half the weight when I started. I can move this thing around by myself with some grunting. Two: It’s now a rocking stump. Yup, after removing a lot of waste from the front of the chair, the stump began to tip backward on its own, rocking nicely on […]
- Sketch Your Way to Better Designs
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Hand, the Hound or the Truth?
Editor’s note: Sorry, this post is not about “Game of Thrones.” George and I often get asked which book should be read first, and we don’t have a quick answer. Because our research has been a quest, we didn’t write … Continue reading
Now in Store: ‘From Truths to Tools’
You can now order a pre-publication copy of “From Truths to Tools” in the Lost Art Press store. The book will ship in early or mid-November 2017. The book is $25, which includes free shipping to customers in the United … Continue reading
Posted in From Truths to Tools, Uncategorized
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Inside ‘From Truths to Tools’
Proverb: Give a woodworker a try square and it works (at least till it gets knocked off the bench). Teach a woodworker artisan geometry and he or she can build a try square, cathedral or a damn fine boat. Why … Continue reading
Posted in From Truths to Tools, Uncategorized
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Taking Refuge in Geometry
Over the recent season of political and social angst I’ve been finding solace in research and development work with my co-author George Walker. While our fellow countrymen argue the gray areas of morality and policy, George and I have immersed … Continue reading
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Down the rabbit hole
or…watch Nancy Hiller morph into Basil Fawlty I take copyright and permissions protocols seriously. It’s a simple matter of the Golden Rule: I write and design stuff, and if someone’s going to use my words or designs, I’d like my … Continue reading
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Now With Even More Artwork
One of the best parts of this job is answering angry emails from disgruntled people. Hahaha. Just kidding. One of best parts of this job is working with independent artisans and artists to do stuff that would make my former … Continue reading
Posted in From Truths to Tools, Uncategorized
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Let’s Make Finger Sandwiches!
Last month we hosted Nancy Hiller, the author of “Making Things Work,” for an evening of literary readings, children’s games that got the local prostitutes worked up, and a beating of the “biscuit joiner that refused to die.” Here are … Continue reading
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