What is Cupping and Why Do Boards Do It?

Getting to know the what and why of cupping lumber. In our 1960s house, many of the old-fashioned closet shelves were crafted from solid carpentry-grade softwood. It appears that the lumber for [...]

Precision Vises, Part 2

Precision vises serve a purpose beyond their conventional use of securing workpieces on the drill press. In my workshops, these tools prove invaluable, especially when it comes to tasks like [...]

Precision Vises, Part 1

I confess to having a weakness for collecting Precision Vises (aka Toolmaker’s vises). These machinist tools, bearing names that mirror their meticulous craftsmanship, redefine the game when it [...]

Crown Molding Restoration, Part 4

After completing the reconstruction of the main broken molding piece, I glued the molding back onto its panel and began restoring the adjacent corner that was also damaged and required repair. [...]

Crown Molding Restoration, Part 3

After completing step (F), I used a gouge to hollow out the cove portion of the molding. I selected a gouge with a sweep that matched the cove radius and carefully shaved the wood in the [...]

Crown Molding Restoration, Part 2

Read part 1 After allowing the glue to set, I carefully removed the clamped molding from the guitar maker’s vise. At this point, I removed excess wood from the glued-up block using a bandsaw to [...]

Crown Molding Restoration, Part One

A few months ago, I restored a tall case of drawers in green. While the piece was not old, antique, or of substantial emotional value, it was still quite practical as it was tall and had several [...]

 French Cleats Inside Tool Cabinets

While French cleat systems for woodshop walls are well-known, the concept of utilizing French cleats inside tool cabinets remains relatively unfamiliar to many. The limited popularity of this [...]

Sawing a Log into Salvaged Holly Lumber

Having lived in our house for over three years now, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions about our trees. Unfortunately, we had to fell a few trees upon moving in, including some sick [...]

Whittling Basics, Part 6

Attach the tree to the base. Part 1: Introduction • Part 2: Push and Peel Knife Maneuvers • Part 3: Parting and Pulling Techniques • Part 4: Rounding the Tree • Part 5: Sculpting the Branches Now [...]

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