Author name: Enthusiast

When working with construction grade timber, aside from the knots, you’ll more than likely find “eased edges.” You could be concerned that things won’t look good, or have fears about less-than-perfect glue lines or the like. My thoughts are to accept what you have and turn things to your advantage; on a workbench project, they won’t matter one bit if you go with the flow. Because I enjoy working by […]

The post Take it Easy for Workbench Tops appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

While growing up I had never been enamored of stained or leaded glass in my home furnishings – Tiffany glass lamps were usually a bit too frilly for my tastes. But that all changed when I visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois. Suddenly the idea of geometry versus flowers made all the difference in the world. It didn’t take long for me to open my […]

The post Add a New Skill (Leaded Glass) to Your Shop! appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Shortly before my friend Carl Bilderback died last year, he gave me a carload of woodworking books, catalogs and other ephemera that he had amassed during a lifetime of tool collecting and woodworking. His instructions: Distribute the books to young woodworkers who can’t afford them. Since his death, I’ve done just that. And all of his books are in the hands of people who need them and will use them. […]

The post Free Download: ‘Atkins Saw Book for Home Craftsmen’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine as “4 Way to Make a Mortise.” by Robert W. Lang pages 44-48 The mortise-and-tenon joint is fundamental in woodworking. Along with the dovetail, this joint has been used for thousands of years. If you judge by the number of devices and methods developed to avoid making mortises, you might think it difficult and demanding. In truth, a mortise […]

The post Mortise & Tenon Tools appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Editors note: Bob Flexner’s blog will move to the Flexner on Finishing Blog at the end of April. You can find it here. A few years ago I was called to a long-time client’s house to look at a problem on their newly purchased eighteenth-century Chippendale dining set. I was excited. How often do I get to see something like this up close – that is, not in a museum? But […]

The post Using Solvents to Date Furniture appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

The dresser A few months ago I received an email form a person who wanted to know if I could build two walnut handles for a Mid-Century walnut dresser that she cherished. She reported that she and her husband purchased the piece forty eight years ago when they got married and that it remains very dear to her heart. The dresser has three drawers, two doors and floats on a […]

The post New Handles For a Mid-Century Walnut Dresser: Part 1 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.