Techniques

Now that we’ve uncovered the reasons behind plain-sawn boards’ tendency to cup and explored methods to rectify their misalignment, let’s delve into addressing cupping in [...]

An easy way to fix cupped boards. After our discussion last week on why plain-sawn lumber tends to cup as it dries, I’m eager to share a solution for reforming cupped boards, like the old [...]

Machine joints that look hand-made. Imagine cutting through dovetails with pins and sockets spaced any way you like—as if they were cut by hand. Now imagine cutting them without using a dovetail [...]

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 [...]

A hassle-free fast track to frameless cabinets. I’ve always liked the clean, modern look of cabinets built without face frames. My early attempts involved building plywood boxes first and [...]

Demystify cutting tenons on curved parts using these simple steps and jigs. Ever wonder how furniture builders cut joinery on curved parts? A common place to see this is on chair backrests, [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Upgrade your shop lighting to help you see what you are working on and to make your shop more inviting. Did you know that at age 60, you need approximately 3x the amount of light to see as you [...]

Learn how to choose and use these versatile shaping tools. As a Windsor chairmaker and spokeshave maker, I use a spokeshave more than any other tool. I have three: two straight shaves (large and [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]