Woodworking Posts

Some shop practices are so obvious that they hardly merit discussion. But every time I think that about some routine I have been taught, I am stunned by the blind spots of many of my students. (I am aware that I have blind spots, as well). I’m always curious about shops that don’t have moving blankets lying around. How, I wonder, do they protect the work from becoming shop-worn? The […]

The post The Artisan’s Security Blanket appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

If you’ve been following Popular Woodworking’s Facebook page over the past week, you’ve probably seen some of my posts and wondered who this Nick guy is. I joined the company in November of 2014, and an introduction is overdue. I’ve been a cabinetmaker since 2003, and in the last 12 years, I’ve worked with architectural millwork, cabinets, countertops, laminate, veneer and a lot of other wood products. I started in […]

The post Hello from Your New Course Manager & Online Editor appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Building staked furniture sometimes feels a lot more like an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” than a typical day in the shop. At assembly-time, the legs have to be knocked home hard to firmly seat the the conical tenon in its mortise and make a bit of a mechanical interlock. I’ve been making sample joints all year and sawing them apart to see what is going on inside. The […]

The post Staked Sawbenches, Day 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I’ve just finishing creating the first woodworking “eMag” in my career – a collection of six articles from Popular Woodworking Magazine – “Contemporary Furniture.” It was a challenge to choose the “right” articles to show a range of subjects and techniques, but I think you’ll find an interesting selection. These builds have the clean lines and details that exemplify this style, and include skill-building techniques. In “City Sideboard,” Mario Rodriguez shows you […]

The post Build it Clean and Contemporary appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

This weekend I am experimenting on guinea pigs. Scratch that. I’m experimenting on American pigs. Wow. That’s doesn’t sound good, either. OK, I’m teaching a new class on a new topic that has been bottled up inside me for four years now. You’ve probably never heard the term “staked furniture,” but that’s because the term and the joinery technology behind the furniture has largely been shoved to the side or […]

The post Building Staked Sawbenches at Highland Woodworking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

We’ve just released an updated edition (as both a paperback and a PDF download) of our best-selling “Popular Woodworking’s Arts & Crafts Furniture Projects,” with 17 new step-by-step project builds (42 in all). And I have a copy to give away, free. To enter the drawing, simply leave a comment below by Friday, Jan. 23. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, Jan. 26. Inside this 2nd edition of “Arts & […]

The post ‘Arts & Crafts Furniture Projects’ 2nd Edition appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.