Author name: Enthusiast

Before you read beyond the first few sentences of this blog entry, there a couple things you should know: I have no problems sharpening a drawknife. Never have (except that time in the 1990s where I ended in the ER for seven stitches). One of the first tools I inherited from my grandfather was his old drawknife, which I still use. I have just finished editing a chairmaking book by […]

The post Galbert Drawsharp in Use appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

When considering ideas and looking for inspiration, I don’t like to limit myself to just the furniture or joinery in isolation. Considering the environment around me helps me form ideas and leads off into interesting tangents of discovery. “Holistic” would be a nice term, but would likely make me sound pretentious. You see, I’m not an expert; I just have a healthy zest for learning. The photos here are snapshots […]

The post Architecture as Furniture Inspiration appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

In our live webinar on February 18, artist and furniture designer Yoav Liberman will talk about getting design inspiration from raw materials. Here’s something that frequently inspires my furniture designs: I don’t have enough tools. Fortunately, you don’t have to have every tool in the catalog to design and build your own furniture. If you have a good saw and a nail or screw gun, you can make a lot of […]

The post Furniture Design: Think About the Tools You Have appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

The notched batten – also called a “doe’s foot” – is a great way to restrain your work on the bench without a tail vise. With a holdfast and a doe’s foot, you can even work across the grain aggressively and the work will stay in place. During the last couple years of using this appliance, mine have evolved. They started as mere pieces of solid wood. Then I added […]

The post The Modern High-traction Doe’s Foot appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I was in Florida for a few days last week visiting my brother, niece, mom and stepfather. I stayed with my brother, Ian, who, like me (and other family members), inherited some woodworking tools from my grandfather. And as always when visiting with relatives, I pawed through the tools to see what interesting specimens I could find. While my grandfather, Emmett Fitzpatrick, graduated from a trade school with a certificate […]

The post Grandpa’s Shop-made Gunstock Scraper appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Old tool chests typically have two weak spots: the bottom and the hinges. The bottom gets rotted out because tool chests end up in unfriendly, poorly drained areas. That’s why many tool chest bottoms are merely nailed on – so they can easily be replaced. The hinges usually fail because the screws come loose. Many tool chests are made from pine and the lids get a lot of abuse. When […]

The post Improve Your Tool Chest Hinges appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.