Tools

Some of the nicest saws around are coming out of Warwick, RI, at the hands of Charlie Earnest. The story behind Spring Green Saws is one that I’ve followed for years. I became aware of Charlie [...]

As a collector and restorer of numerous bench planes, all stemming from the classic Stanley Bailey design, I can confidently say that the two components most prone to breakage or damage over the [...]

Replace your router’s base with one that is oversized and stable. The router can be a great friend in the woodshop, but it’s one of those friends with character traits that aren’t welcome in all [...]

Match the size to the job–that’s the key Hand planes come in a bewildering variety of sizes. Why are there so many? I’ll help explain this mystery by dividing the field into four groups, in order [...]

In my school’s woodworking program, we have a variety of chisels, ranging from wood-handled to plastic-handled. We even have a chisel without a handle, which is a full-tang hybrid between a [...]

Here’s what one pro always keeps in his toolbox. My favorite tools are the ones that I use every day—around the house, in the shop or at a jobsite. They’ve become old friends. They’re not [...]

About 30 years ago, my girlfriend led me to a dark, cluttered basement workshop to meet a sweet, 70-ish gem of a man: her grandfather, Hayes. He was surrounded by a lifetime’s collection of [...]

It can save you lots of money—and grief! Are you a scrounger? Always looking for a deal? Self-reliant? Those words fit a lot of woodworkers, particularly those who search for unusual or [...]

Tools: A Visual Exploration of Implements & Devices in the Workshop If there’s one thing to be said about woodworkers, it’s that we’re old school and prefer to pick up a book (or a magazine). [...]

Building a sash clamp is quite easy. Begin by milling a hardwood bar to the appropriate thickness. The bar’s thickness should allow it to travel smoothly between the sash clamp’s shoulders. Next, [...]

Beyond its prime use as a bar clamp, an inverted T-bar sash clamp can be handy when holding pieces for planing and gouging.  Below is an example of how to use this clamp to tie down a branch and [...]

This blog entry will make our UK base readership happy and will bring a smile to the British expats who live in the USA. This week’s story is about sash clamps, a type of clamp that I [...]