Author name: Enthusiast

When I went to the lumberyard to buy the stock for my first project of my own design I picked through the store’s entire stack of 1x12s to find the boards with the most attractive constellation of knots. I wasn’t trying to be cheeky or make a statement (other than “I like knots”). I genuinely liked knots because they reminded me that the board was once a tree – not […]

The post In Praise of Knots, the Defect that is Watching You appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

As I mentioned in the first part of the story, Shay likes to frequent the Jaffa flea markets to look for all kinds of goodies. In fact, many of the tools that he uses come from boxes of miscellaneous items that he has seen there. He buys the tools for little money and later finds the time to rehabilitate them. After fishing the tool from a merchant’s box or picking it from […]

The post A Visit to a Furniture Restoration Shop in Tel Aviv: Part 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

On May 22 last year (2016) I complained about consolidation in the wood finishing industry, which is eliminating competition. The latest was Sherwin-Williams buying Valspar, a move that would effectively remove Valspar as a company independent of the interests of Sherwin-Williams. Many of you agreed with my complaint. The next day I reported that the Federal Trade Commission was looking into this. I guess they heard us because the latest […]

The post They heard us: Valspar Will Spin Off Wood Coatings Division in Sherwin-Williams Merger appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Nearly every time that I approach the planer, I think to myself, how am I going to get rid of snipe this time? Without fail, I end up with snipe at the leading or trailing edge at some point in the process to a varying degree. It has been rumored that some have totally mitigated the issue – but it is relieving to hear Doug Dale at Marc Adam’s School of Woodworking share […]

The post Video: How to Reduce Planer Snipe appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Gluing up narrow boards into big panels stresses out many beginning woodworkers. Sorry to say it, but I have another stressor to put on your shoulders: Don’t tarry. Schnell. Andele. Large panels are like manicured lawns. Right after you mow and trim your yard, it looks like a golf course or a military haircut. But within minutes or hours, the blades of grass and weeds begin to move and grow, […]

The post Big Panels? Don’t Tarry appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

It’s a shame customers don’t know as much about woodworking as woodworkers. They run their hands over your work and if it’s smooth they think it’s good – whereas you know that’s just the temporary wax on top. It shows the customer nothing about the weeks you spent oiling it daily or the high number of light coats of shellac used to create a deep and repairable finish. Customers can also […]

The post Mushroom Your Drawbore Gaps appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.