Author name: Enthusiast

You might think I’m kidding. I am absolutely not. This year, a tape dispenser for my blue tape is the nicest thing I’ve added to my shop. Like many woodworkers, I use blue painter’s tape for many tasks, from taping down small repairs to marking out joinery to shimming things square. For years I simply pulled it off the roll. You know the drill: Find the end of the tape, […]

The post Anarchist’s 2017 Gift Guide, Day 2: Tape Dispenser appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – it’s all about the food and mostly free of consumerism…except, of course, for the “Black Friday” sales that start at crazy hours… I will not be at any of those sales. I will be sitting around a table I built (in the one dining chair I’ve built) having a great time with friends and eating what I hope is […]

The post Great American Furniture appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Every year, I write up a gift guide that discusses the small items that have made a big difference in my shop.  These are items that are ideal for gifts – it’s difficult to ask your toddlers for an Altendorf table saw for Christmas. I hope that these items are useful to you. If you have any complaints about this gift guide, please submit it here. The first item is […]

The post Anarchist’s 2017 Gift Guide, Day 1: Kershaw Knife appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I better start off with a warning. If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m kind of a nut about patterns. Long before I owned a CNC, I made hundreds of them. As a furniture maker, I really use and rely on them. The rule in my shop is that if you need to make two of anything or if there’s even the slightest chance you might make something again, […]

The post Turn Patterns Into Super Story Sticks appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This problem comes up a lot at this time of year. You’ve been finishing a large project for several weeks without problems. Then the finish starts sagging on vertical surfaces and the cabinet doors begin sticking together when you stack them. It’s important to remember that all finishes dry slower in lower temperatures. Unless you keep your shop heated (and cooled in summer) to a fixed temperature, you’re likely to […]

The post Reminder: All Finishes Dry and Harden Slower in Cooler Temperatures appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

For several years I used CompWood for furniture parts that needed to be bent precisely. It’s a wood that has been compressed in its length under heat and with moisture. When the wood cools, it can be bent cold. No steambox. And I have yet to encounter wood failure with the stuff. The only downside? It’s expensive compared to cutting down a tree, riving out the stock and bending it […]

The post A Return to Cold-bend Hardwood appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.