Woodworking Posts

So far, I have successfully avoided upholstery in my woodworking projects. As a newer woodworker, there has been so much to learn and practice that I haven’t convinced myself that I should take up another discipline. I think there is some wisdom in staying focused while learning the essentials. But lately, I have admired the incredible work of conservators and restoration specialists who seem to know how to do it […]

The post Video Post: How to Fold the Corner of an Upholstered Seat appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

After sculpting the backrest of this dugout chair with a chainsaw, I noticed two things. One, the chair is about half the weight when I started. I can move this thing around by myself with some grunting. Two: It’s now a rocking stump. Yup, after removing a lot of waste from the front of the chair, the stump began to tip backward on its own, rocking nicely on the meat […]

The post Dugout Chair Part 5, Ready for Sculpting appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

A lot of the work in any machine-oriented woodshop revolves around creating and improving jigs. While I’ve used hold-down and F-style clamps in most of my shop fixtures, the Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps offer a new means of integrating adjustable clamping into a jig, securely and out of the way of blades and bits. The clamps have a dovetail cross section on the top arm that fits into a 14º […]

The post Microjig Matchfit Dovetail Clamps appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

My favorite part of the magazine, when I was on the other side of the publication, was the End Grain articles. I love reading them, for their oft lofty, funny or thought-provoking content about the craft. Now, as managing editor, I get to solicit and search for the material for these pages. With the hope that I’ll have plenty to read, I’m holding a little contest. We’re always looking for good […]

The post End Grain Contest appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I laid out the shape of my my dugout chair in chalk. Then it rained. The next day I laid out the shape of my dugout chair in lumber crayon. Referring to my CAD drawing (below), I drew in the seat at 17” from the ground. Then decided to put the arms 8” above the seat and have them slope back about 1/2” or so. The depth of the seat […]

The post Dugout Chair Part 4, Cut the Arms appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Instead of storing your freshly sharpened scrapers loose in a drawer (or tight in a wallet), this easy-to-make storage unit, shared with me by my friend Bob Lee, holds them at the ready over the bench. A thin piece of stock front and back captures a C-shaped piece with a wedge in its bottom arm. The wedge holds a dowel in place. Slip the scraper in from the bottom to lift […]

The post Tricks of the Trade: Scraper Holder from Scraps appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.