Tips for Working with Plywood
Article sponsored by Woodpeckers. Working with plywood is always an adventure. The large size of the sheets isn’t easy to handle in my small shop. This means that I’m often left wrestling these [...]
Thomas Day, Master Cabinetmaker
This antebellum free black man was the most successful cabinetmaker in North Carolina. My introduction to Thomas Day came in 1998 on a shopping trip to High Point, N.C., for a bed. I stumbled [...]
Choosing a Spray Gun
As I’ve explained many times in Popular Woodworking, you can achieve a near-perfect finish using a rag or brush: You can apply a wipe-on/wipe-off finish such as oil, wiping varnish or gel [...]
Skansen Bench
* Read a tutorial on leveling Skansen Bench feet. * Visit Skansen’s web site. I’ve always liked things that are Swedish, impossibly overbuilt and yet somehow graceful. For example: my beloved [...]
Sliding Door Stereo Cabinet
A modern approach to joinery yields perfect miters. Project #2009 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 days • Cost: $250 I have a definite affinity for Mid-Century furniture. There’s just [...]
USNS Comfort and Mercy, A Scale Model, Part 1
As a resident of New York I was heartened by the sight of the USNS Comfort, the beautiful white ship marked with the emblem of the red cross, as she rolled in the NY Harbor to help in the fight [...]
10 Tips for Using a Dovetail Jig
1. Paraffin Lube When you rout a dovetail joint, your sense of feel is important. Your router should slide easily around the jig’s fingers, without hesitating, so you can tell which [...]
Arts & Crafts Through-tenons
One of my favorite Arts & Crafts details is the through-tenon at the top of a table, bookcase or chair. When I was considering adding a joinery class to my curriculum at the Barnard [...]
4-Tier Knife Block
A knife block is one of the most convenient—and safest—devices to store kitchen knives. Most knife blocks are large chunks of wood composed of a dozen or more pieces laminated together. [...]
Interview With Philip Weber
You could take the entire annual output of Phllip Weber’s woodworking shop and fit it into the trunk of a VW bug. But oh, what a wondrous load you would have: Ebony, holly and Osage orange. [...]
Rockler’s Slick Glue Brush
Tool: Silicone Glue Brush Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $4.99 The lowly glue brush has been elevated to “actual tool” status. It’ll still be one of the most neglected tools in [...]
Revive or Restore a Finish?
Discover how (and when) to give old, deteriorated finishes new life. As finishes age, they deteriorate. First they dull, then they begin showing small cracks (called “crazing”). The culprit of [...]