Author name: Enthusiast

Beer shows up in many accounts of early workshop life. Not only was it an important source of nutrition, it also served as payment for trespasses and a way to mark important days in the shop, such as when an apprentice was promoted to journeyman. Beer also shows up in workshop recipes and for diluting glue. Recently Thomas Lie-Nielsen encountered a use for beer that I hadn’t heard in the […]

The post Beer as a Furniture Stain appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

by Matthew Dworman pages 32-39 From the November 2016 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine Hidden compartments – just saying those words puts a smile on the face of most woodworkers. There is something magical about a secret space that reveals itself to only the person who knows about it. Since the origins of furniture, hidden compartments have been used for storing valuables, documents and other important belongings. With modern safes, security […]

The post Art of Concealment – A Table With Hidden Compartments appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

For this week’s book giveaway I’ve chosen a fun book of kitchen themed woodworking projects: A.J. Hamler’s “The Woodworker’s Kitchen.” Think about it: Where do you spend the most of your time? Well – the shop probably. But, what about the rest of your time? Where do all of your guests end up when you entertain? Probably in the kitchen. Kitchens are the centers of activity in most homes. So […]

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When I’m on the road filming video for Popular Wooding, it usually means an anonymous, but increasingly familiar hotel room, a search for good food and craft beer, and spending a few days our video host. I have begun to anticipate that I will learn more about our host than woodworking – in a good way! We had a great time shooting a Windsor Rocker build with Elia Bizzarri (his next video will […]

The post VIDEO: Elia Bizzarri and the Dull Chisels appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

  I have a confession. I love workbenches. My first project as a hobbyist was a workbench and ever since, I’ve been in love with all the things a good bench can do to help you be a better woodworker.   Workbench 1.0 My first bench was Tom Caspar’s Build a Workbench in a Weekend that appeared in the October 1996 issue of the excellent, but long past Woodwork magazine. […]

The post The BARN Workbench — Part One appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Here’s a problem you’re probably familiar with if you have old furniture or woodwork: finishes that are crazed. Old crazed finishes are very fragile. They damage easily. The best thing you can do to reduce damage is apply a slick furniture polish or paste wax. Slick furniture polishes are those that contain silicone oil. This oil is much slicker than mineral oil, for example. You can put a dab of […]

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