Author name: Enthusiast

Editor’s note: This post was written by Rick LaFaver. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram and on the web as WoodWorkLIFE. He attended The Home Depot’s annual event for industry and influencers, PROspective. The following post reflects his experience at the event! – David Lyell This week, The Home Depot (THD) launched their annual PROspective. Those in attendance received an early look at what is coming from your favorite […]

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Many new chisels, especially most premium-quality chisels, have sharp lands (the beveled side edges). Some people wear cotton gloves to protect their hands when using these, but I don’t like the loss of feel and sensitivity with gloves. So I came up with a simple solution to avoid getting cut by these edges. I cut off the tip of a rubber finger pad (sold at office supply stores to guard […]

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On the surface, basic geometry skills can seem like magic or just a cool trick. We sat down with Chad Stanton to learn why geometry is a crucial skill for woodworkers and not just another “life-hack.” With the advent of new technology like SketchUp, it’s no longer necessary for woodworkers to look to their compasses or squares to solve problems as they work. Even seasoned professionals rely on software and […]

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I’ll probably get pushback on this, but here goes anyway. I’d love to hear your objections. Look at the above picture. What seems odd to you? It’s not something small. It’s jumping right off the screen. The spraying technique is entirely correct, especially with the opposite hand holding the hose out of the way. Not doing this is the most common mistake I see when teaching a class. The student […]

The post This Mystifies Me Every Time I See It – Wearing Gloves While Finishing appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

In my classes, we use marking/carving knives quite a lot. We score lines in preparation for making a “knife-wall”, we use them to whittle animals, to cut paper veneer and more. Our knives are shaped in the traditional European pattern with a wide bolster at the meeting point of the blade and the handle. To sharpen a knife I use DMT diamond stones.  Typically, I begin with a fine stone […]

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As a maker of custom furniture and cabinetry, I use a variety of finishes. Some pieces need minimal protection – perhaps sealed with shellac and a coat of buffed wax, or finished with a blend of boiled linseed oil and polyurethane. Sometimes I brush oil-based poly onto horizontal surfaces that are going to get a lot of household wear; sometimes I use Osmo because an ultra-low sheen is what my […]

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