Author name: Enthusiast

Yes, yes. It might seem self-serving for me to recommend a subscription to Popular Woodworking Magazine as a holiday gift, but I firmly believe that what we publish is worth reading. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t work here. Here’s our mission statement: We inspire furniture makers of all skill levels with a broad range of historical and contemporary tools, techniques, topics and projects that touch on all facets of the […]

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The following statement contains 99 percent corn, but the remaining 1 percent is what gets me moving in the morning. The greatest woodworking gift isn’t a tool or a shop accessory. It’s watching someone else fall in love with the craft based on something you’ve done. If there’s someone in your life who might be teetering on the edge of becoming a woodworker, purchase “Good Clean Fun” by Nick Offerman […]

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I’m sure you’ve heard the admonition to measure twice before you cut once. If you haven’t, take it from me that it’s very good advice. You’ll save a lot of wood and grief by doing this. But what about “measure twice before you paint once?” The grounds crews at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium where the Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference Championship was being played apparently hadn’t heeded this warning and painted […]

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I have worked out of an 18th-century-style tool chest since 1997 or so, but I still love a good metal toolbox. They are great for moving tools to a jobsite or storing a dedicated set of wrenches or a socket set. The plastic or sheet-metal toolboxes at home centers do nothing for me. The plastic breaks and the sheet metal is thin and bends when you look at it too […]

The post Anarchist’s 2016 Gift Guide, Day 8: A Trusco Toolbox appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Like a good French rasp, a spokeshave will open your eyes to a new world. Furniture parts that were once simply flat or round can easily be made curved and subtly faceted. And though the type of spokeshave you prefer is pretty personal, it’s hard to argue that the most successful and copied model is the Stanley 151 shave. I think this model is the apogee of this form’s design. […]

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I know, I know. If you’ve been reading this blog, my blog or following me on social media for while, you’re already familiar with my deep-seated love for the Benchcrafted Skraper (what is it with the tools I like and funny spellings?!). This is not your grandfather’s scraper. It has a 5/8″-wide x 3/16″- thick solid carbide bar on the business end that is honed on all working surfaces – […]

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