Archives

Mark the End Grain When you’re jointing, mark each board’s grain direction by drawing a line on its end. The line means “Start here.” A mark on a board’s face or [...]

Choose complementary blades for perfect results. In the dark ages of woodworking, before carbide, you never used the same blade for ripping and crosscutting. Cutting plywood required yet another [...]

Keep these tips in mind when buying rough lumber to get the best deals on the best wood.

When hobbyist woodworkers do any sort of veneering, they usually work with raw veneers. These un-backed sheets are great for small projects, and though they can be used for large work, most [...]

Just as with building any woodworking project, eliminate one step from the manufacturing process and the results can be fatal. It usually happens as you hang a door or install a shelf. You’ve got [...]

All hardwoods have vessels (little pipelines) that are used in sap production. The size and distribution of these vessels vary among species; some are visible to the naked eye. When the vessels [...]

Why Should Understand How Wood Fails Tear-out is ugly, but how does it happen? Ground-breaking research that began in the 1950s by Norman C. Franz showed how wood fails when you cut it with hand [...]

I gotta say, the timing is bad on this. At the same time that we’ve announced DVD compilations of four seasons of Roy Underhill’s “The Woodwright’s Shop,” [...]

Another video on sharpening? Ugh! No, wait…this one’s kinda different. In fact, this video isn’t about the cutting edge of the chisel. What?! It’s true. “Chisel Sharpening with Harrelson [...]

I’m not a hand tool guy. There, I’ve said it. If I can find a way to use a power tool, I will. That said, I, like most woodworkers, do use hand tools on a regular basis. My experience [...]

I’m focusing on basic skills in PW. Know that this isn’t news from the mountain top, but rather my very real commitment to fundamentals in my own shop. “Fundamentals” [...]