Projects

All these years, my assistant, Laure Olender, has not only been working with me doing woodwork, she also takes photographs (including those in this article), edits my articles and assists me at [...]

Gerrit Rietveld’s simple design for a lounge chair is a great platform for exploring ergonomics. PROJECT #2005 • Skill Level:Beginner • Time: 4 hours • Cost: $50 Gerrit Rietveld was a Dutch [...]

Wood is the starting point of inspiration for these boxes infused with the past. In my mind, this article goes to the root of why we work wood. It is about the philosophy of creating things in [...]

Simple tools, techniques, and joinery deliver elegant results. It’s the stuff of arguments: Which tools in the shop are really the most important for joinery? It’s almost like arguing the top [...]

At 6 am, the bathroom is yours, because everyone else is asleep. So rather than rushing, why not pamper yourself with a great shave? Forget cold foam from a can. Instead, massage your face by [...]

This project first appeared in the August 2011 issue. For me, one of the most perfect shapes ever designed is the general-purpose incandescent light bulb. While some people use the word [...]

Coffee tables didn’t exist as a furniture form until the 1920s  (when they were known as cocktail tables). So while there is no true Shaker coffee table, I needed a table to put in front of my [...]

The editors present some of their favorite designs. Whether we spend most of our time building 18th-century highboys, production cabinetry or toys for our kids and grandchildren, we all build [...]

Flaring sides, tapering bevels and asymmetrical corners make these mid-century modern style frames perfect for wacky photos or jazzing up a wall. They’re surprisingly easy to make and just [...]

An ideal first project for working with green wood. This little sled is a perfect introduction to the age-old tradition of working green wood. Building it is a completely satisfying experience, [...]

Whenever I make a right angle cut on my tablesaw, I use a sled. If I’m cutting large panels, I use a big crosscut sled. I pull out a smaller sled for rails and legs. To cut tenons with a …

The box arrives in the mail and the new plane you’ve been yearning for has finally arrived. You spend a few minutes admiring the workmanship, then get to work flattening the back of the plane [...]