Dust Off Your Sandpaper to Extend Its Efficacy
Whenever I hand sand with a sanding block, and also often when I use an orbital sander, I keep a stiff bristle brush at hand, and occasionally I scrub off the sandpaper to remove clingy wood dust [...]
Let’s Cut Some Wood!
There are lots of jokes about things you can just stare at for hours without really engaging your brain. Cat videos come to mind and dozens of television programs, but I’m talking about [...]
Here’s an Alternative Way of Applying Stain: Spray and Leave Unwiped
The usual way of applying stain is to apply a wet coat and wipe off the excess before it dries. You can use a rag, brush or spray gun to apply the stain. When you wipe off the excess, you …
What to Do When Disaster Strikes – Part 357
One of my woodworking instructors years ago liked to reassure students by saying “Anyone can build furniture, but it takes real skill to fix mistakes.” Here’s how I went about [...]
Improve Your CNC: Introducing Grids
https://youtu.be/evkW6Hqei-0 Video: How I use a grid system to make digital woodworking easier CNCs are wonderful machines. For woodworkers who want to combine traditional woodworking with [...]
“There’s a great future in plastics … think about it.”
Mr. Robinson saw the signs in 1967, and I lived it in the 70’s building restaurant fixtures and lots of furniture out of plastic laminates. Laminates were everywhere. Durable, colorful, [...]
An Economy Tri-bolt for Folding Stools
Three-legged folding stools need a “tri-bolt” to allow the legs to fold in and out. Years ago, Tandy Leather offered an inexpensive tri-bolt, but it has been absent from the company’s inventory [...]
Oil and Wiping Varnish Finishes: How Many Coats Should You Apply?
The instructions for applying oil and wiping-varnish finishes are usually to wipe or brush on a wet coat, wait a bit, then wipe off the excess and let what remains dry. So I got this question [...]
A Non Oily Lubricant for Drilling and More
Most lubricants are associated with oil, wax and grease, substances that are hard to remove from wooden surfaces. When drilling wide or long holes in wood, especially when you later need to glue [...]
Woodworking Outside the Shop
Finding a paying job as a woodworker is one of those tricky negotiations. Working in a woodworking business or owning your own business sound attractive, but we all know there are risks and [...]
A Visit to the Wharton Esherick House
This summer I spent a couple of weeks driving around the East Coast delivering furniture, giving talks related to English Arts & Crafts Furniture and Making Things Work, and photographing [...]
For Accurate Angles, Go to the Chalkboard
Laying out accurate angles on your work is critical. So it’s funny to me that we spend $100 on a Starrett square for 90°, then spend $1.59 on a plastic school protractor for every angle that [...]