Woodworking Posts

My third day on the job, a co-worker asked me, “So, are you a woodworker?” Am I? My inclination is to answer in the negative. The term just feels so hallowed, a label earned through decades spent in the shop, gaining technical expertise and crafting heirloom-quality pieces. That’s not me (yet), so I’m hesitant to claim the title for my own…but I wouldn’t call myself a “writer” until after I’d […]

The post New Guy Just Might Be a Woodworker appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I have a hammer that looks like a squirrel. And I wish I had one that looked like a goat (alas, those are pretty rare and expensive). A little bit of whimsy in your tools is a good thing – it makes the connection that that natural world and the built world are connected. (The handsaw was said to have been inspired by the sawfish. I personally suspect hammers were […]

The post ‘Dancing Master’ Calipers appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Tools and Supplies Used

Micro Jig GRR-Rippers
Kreg Trak and Stop (Tablesaw Sled)
2 7/8″ Forstner Bit
GRR-Rip Block
1/4″ Round Over Bit
Festool Orbital Sander
Minwax Lacquer Spray, Satin
Leather used was picked up from a local art scrap store….

Here’s a tip that you will thank me for if you aren’t already doing it. When you want to secure the lid on a paint, stain or finish can, step on it rather than hammer it closed. Using your body weight to close the can has two advantages. First, you don’t have to have a hammer handy. Your foot is always with you. Second, and more importantly, you don’t risk […]

The post Step on a Can to Close It appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

When you’re building casework, your parts really need dead square ends if you hope to fit drawers, dividers or a gallery inside. I don’t trust any table saw gizmo to give me square cuts. And I don’t trust my shooting board, either. The only thing I trust is a square that has been tested for accuracy. To check my carcase parts, I have a couple of huge Starrett squares that […]

The post Check Squareness on Big Pieces appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Before I developed the tool tote project, I did some online research and discovered that there are two major trends in the design of simple wooden totes: (A) Those whose tall end-walls flank the side walls and (B) those whose side-walls flank the end-walls. This raised the question: Which of the two designs would better suit our project? When I design a project for my students, especially when teaching my young […]

The post Build a Tool Tote With Your Kids: Part 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.