Author name: Enthusiast

Rubbing out a finish to achieve a perfectly flat surface on porous woods such as mahogany and walnut is a lot of work, so it’s usually reserved for tabletops. Using a film-building finish (not oil), the first step is to sand the finish back, or level it, to leave the pores filled in. You usually have to do this even if you have used a pore filler because there’s always […]

The post Rubbing Out a Finish: The Plastic Spreader Trick appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I don’t always post holiday-themed projects, but hey – with my heritage, I can’t pass up the opportunity to share some Celtic knotwork in celebration the Emerald isle. So here are a couple woodworking articles from our archives that feature Celtic carving (though the “Peasant Chair” has a distinctly Moravian flavor to all but the carved back). Both the “Celtic Love Spoon” and the “Peasant Chair” predate our digital files, […]

The post A Couple of Celtic-influenced Projects appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

In this video excerpt from “Table Saw Jigs & Fixtures,” Matthew Teague tells you why you might want this jig for your table saw, how to make it, and how to safely use it. Get instruction from Matthew on making 10 more essential table saw jigs on the video download – or better yet, get 24/7 access to all our videos (more than 400 of them on things woodworking!) on […]

The post Video: Make a Panel-cutting Sled for Your Table Saw appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

After the 2015 election, I did what every sane American did: I eliminated the annoying people from my social media feeds on both the left and the right who had become singularly obsessed with politics. And then I took another healthy step: I eliminated feeds from the “fake perfectionists.” Who are the “fake perfectionists?” You probably know them. They are the people who post beautiful photos of their work on […]

The post Failing Daily Since 1993 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Responding to my post last week on the demise of woodworking clamps made in the U.S., a few readers pointed out that the well has not completely dried out. Yes, we have probably lost the big names in casting, forging and milling of clamps, but a few smaller manufacturers have survived, in addition to new makers who have released some interesting stuff in the last few years. Milwaukee Tool and […]

The post Surviving U.S.-made Woodworking Clamps & Clamp Care appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

It’s always fun to see the new books arrive. Popular Woodworking Books’ latest release “Simple & Stylish Woodworking: 20 Projects for Your Home” officially releases in mid-April. It’s a compilation of small projects that make great home accents. Selected from the archives of Popular Woodworking, these projects allow you to learn new skills and get in some practice on smaller scale builds before committing to a larger piece of furniture. The […]

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