Author name: Enthusiast

We have these adages in the woodworking world: Hand-tool woodworkers prefer taking the tool to the wood, power-tool users prefer taking the wood to the tool; Westerners operate on the push, Easterners on the pull. I’m here to say we need an adage for a technique I’ve been finding extremely useful. Let’s call it the Australian way: Using tools upside down. These past weeks I’ve been making lots of small […]

The post Upside Down Tool Usage appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Imagine walking up a path to a beautiful home, only to see that the front “door” is actually a moldy shower curtain nailed to the frame. Or compare the sound of a door closing on a 1987 Yugo versus a  2015 S550 Mercedes. A door is a first impression – so make yours a good one. “Making & Fitting Doors,” a new digital magazine featuring eight articles from the Popular Woodworking Magazine […]

The post Making & Fitting Doors appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

After splitting my mallet log into quarters (see part one of this project by clicking here) I turned to the lathe work. I produced four different mallets, each one with its own unique handle. I turned the first and the second handles identical, then altered one of them into a hexagonal shape. I was curious to see if this handle would feel better in my hand, theorizing that because in […]

The post The Best Design for a Round Mallet, Part 2: My Family of Mallets appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

James Hamilton is the mastermind behind the popular Stumpy Nubs web site, which offers a range of online videos dedicated to spending some quality time in the shop, with a particular emphasis on creating homemade woodworking machines, tools and jigs. Hamilton is constantly looking for ways to streamline, organize and improve workshops – and makes it his mission to help others do the same. His new book, “The Homemade Workshop,” […]

The post An Interview with James Hamilton appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I recently saw a post on Facebook that vindicated what I’ve been telling people for years. Seems the original 1800s patent for the toilet paper dispenser shows the roll with the paper feeding over the top. Victory! What does this have to do with woodworking? Well, one of the most common discussions I’ve been involved with is on the “best” workbench. Now don’t get me wrong, I applaud and encourage […]

The post Toilet Paper & Workbenches appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.