Three (Unoriginal) Sharpening Tips
Some things about sharpening everyone knows (it’s two metal surfaces, an abrasive and friction). Other things nobody knows (such as the best system ever). And there is a third category of [...]
Make Your Own Dovetail Chisel
As a beginning dovetailer, I had a crappy set of plastic-handled chisels, a newspaperman’s salary and a copy of the Japan Woodworker catalog. All three things conspired to make me [...]
M.Power Sharpening System
Editor Christopher Schwarz is out of town , so we’ve commandeered his blog for a few days. Don’t worry , the socks on squirrels and monkey references will soon return. When The [...]
Three Magnets Make Sharpening Easier
The most miserable aspect of hand work is setting up the tools for the first time. Removing the coarse manufacturing scratches from the unbeveled faces of your edge tools can be grueling, boring [...]
Sharpening: Here's What I See
I’m fairly well convinced that my ears are different than yours. The music I like isn’t going to sound the same to you. It’s almost impossible for me to share with another [...]
Dovetailing, Eyetailing and Guttailing
The hardest thing about dovetailing isn’t the sawing or the chiseling or the layout. It’s the seeing. I don’t think I can teach anyone to see, but I can show you where to look. [...]
Plastic Marries Wood in a New Mallet
Plastic mallets can be highly durable, but they always look like plastic. Wooden mallets look great, but they sure get beat up after a few years of use. Now Dave Jeske at Blue Spruce Toolworks [...]
Why Some New Tools Have Poor Edge Life
Sometimes brand-new chisels and planes (even from the best manufacturers) don’t hold an edge well. I’ve seen some edges crumple like tin foil after two whacks with a mallet or two [...]
Origami Chisel Protectors
Reaching underneath my tool rack can be like sticking my hand in a lion’s mouth. All of the dangling edge tools have alternately shaved, nicked and scared the bejeezus out of me over the [...]
First Look: Blue Spruce Bench Chisels
Dave Jeske’s tool-making shop in Oregon City, Ore., is in exactly the same place as his new bench chisel: halfway between the islands and toolmaking traditions of Japan and England. Like a [...]
New Premium Chisels Coming From Stanley in November
Stanley Works will unveil a new premium bevel-edge chisel this year that bears some similarities to the company’s vaunted Everlasting line of chisels that were made between 1911 and 1942. [...]
Hollow Mortise Chisel Tune-up
I’ve always been geeky about sharpening things, not in the sense of polishing chisel backs to #32,000 grit, but having a good edge before going to work. Before using a router bit, I dress [...]