Author name: Enthusiast

You guys might know Christopher Schwarz. You know … he used to be the editor of our magazine, he’s a contributing editor and a regular blogger. Chris is a pretty busy guy what with all of that stuff and his own publishing company Lost Art Press, not to mention time spent in the woodshop. A revised edition of his  book, “Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use,” will be published in October […]

The post An Interview with Christopher Schwarz appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Our latest kit of the month is all about carving (see below)  – and to pique your interest, here’s a free episode of Roy Underhill’s “The Woodwright’s Shop” featuring Peter Follansbee on carving Swedish-style spoons. Peter, Mary May and Alf Sharp are the stars of the “Carving Tips & Techniques” kit, which features five full-length instructional videos, a book and several article downloads – all for just $79.

The post Watch Peter Follansbee Carve Spoons on ‘The Woodwright’s Shop’ – Free appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

At this time a week from today, I’ll be setting up benches and classrooms in Kansas City, Mo., for Woodworking in America 2015 (unless something goes wrong terribly wrong with the truck…or we stuck in what appears to be a vexing amount of construction between here and there). The conference starts bright and early on Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., with six classes from which to choose: Christopher Schwarz on […]

The post One Week until Woodworking in America appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

When you start studying ancient woodworking tools, it’s the similarities that are most striking – not the differences. Saws, chisels and planes – the core tools of the furniture maker – are only mildly different in the East and West. While some people amplify those differences – pushing a saw vs. pulling it is one example – these are largely artificial. All cultures both push and pull tools. And using […]

The post Chinese Workbenches – a Little Bit Roman? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I can’t help it. And I don’t want to help it. Between projects, I really enjoy getting to know different tools and discovering what I like and why I like them. It’s good fun and this vintage chisel is no exception. I don’t think I’ve ever had that freedom within my job as a joiner, but when the working day ends and I can do things on my own terms, I […]

The post Vintage Chisel Bliss appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Though I find it darn-near impossible to believe, it has been more than five years since we published plans for a full-sized workbench. That was Christopher Schwarz’s “Return of Roubo,” the cherry-topped bench he built using mostly hand tools (you’ll find it in the August 2010 issue as well as on a  download, “Build an 18th-Century Workbench” that includes a bunch of additional resources). Chris is back to bench building […]

The post Cheap, Simple & Portable (Yes, Another Workbench) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.