No-mar Bench Dog
There are times when you need to hold a workpiece securely against a dog in the workbench, but don’t want to risk damage to the work from a hard bench dog. Here’s a simple bench dog that will be [...]
Is Water-based Finish Lacquer?
The two products – both useful – are quite different. Dating back at least 100 years, the term “lacquer” has referred to a non-crosslinking finish that thins with lacquer thinner. The most common [...]
J. Wilding Moving Fillister Plane
Vintage moving fillister planes are easy to find but can be tricky to restore because of all the moving parts and the general wear and tear these tools endure. If you don’t want to buy a metal [...]
My Normal Workshop
I’m sure I’m not the only reader who is astounded by the pristine, seemingly unused shops that frequently appear in this department. Here are a couple of pictures of my shop, showing the [...]
Strike Plate Mounting Magic
When I had to install a bunch of magnetic catches recently, I came up with this simple method to mark the doors for the strike plate. It requires no measuring and the results are neat and clean. [...]
Breadboard End Cutting Board
Practice a centuries-old technique on this small contemporary piece. Found on everything from refined 18th-century highboys to muscled Arts & Crafts tables, breadboard ends are a handsome and [...]
Mastery Through Repetition
Practice is the best of all instructors. Maynard lived next door. When he wasn’t spinning wrenches at the local Ford garage, he was out in his driveway, hunched over a neighbor’s car. As a kid I [...]
Lumberyard Prep
Arm yourself with a good plan (or two) and your buying trip will be a success. I have a 10″-wide piece of 8/4 purpleheart sitting on my lumber rack. I bought it eight years ago when I [...]
Right-Angle Guide for Jointing
Planing the edge of a long board perpendicular to its face is a real challenge. To make the job easier, I built a guide that attaches to the side of my plane with rare earth magnets. Now jointing [...]
Rediscover a Shaker Classic
A rim and box in contrasting species is an elegant eye-catcher. Open boxes, as useful as they are attractive, were not made to hold sweets for the table. Instead, they were for something that [...]
Blue Spruce Toolworks 4″ x 6″ Square
Tool: 4″ x 6″ Square Buy Now Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $135 One thing I always worry about with fixed-blade metal try squares (especially beautiful and [...]
Replacing a Maul Handle
Winter is the perfect time for fireplaces and firewood, and the best firewood is the one you generate yourself. The late Moravian psychoanalyst, Dr. Schtriker Von Axen, used to teach his meek and [...]