Woodworking Posts

It’s been warm outside and there are still some tomatoes in my garden, so it’s been easy to stay in denial. But when I saw holiday stuff on display in a local mall I knew I was in trouble – those projects I meant to make as gifts might have to be given as Valentine’s presents, maybe even Fourth of July presents. That sewing-machine-shaped inlay I have in mind for a […]

The post Holiday Projects & that Sinking Feeling appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Every day I receive dozens of e-mails. Everyone suffers from this affliction, but when you’re on the staff of a magazine you’re an attractive target for photographers, illustrators, PR people and marketing gurus. I wade through them all, and every now and then I’m pleasantly surprised to get a message from a reader with a photo of his version of something I’ve designed and built for Popular Woodworking Magazine. That […]

The post Another 21st Century Workbench appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Beginning with my first job in journalism, I self-imposed a rule to not discuss my political thoughts in public – so the below is in no way constitutes personal commentary on President Obama and his administration. But no matter what one’s thoughts on any past, current or future office holders, there’s no arguing that those in power have access to some mighty fine furniture. Case in point: Today’s New York […]

The post Furniture Spotting appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I’m sure you get asked the following question a lot: “What’s your favorite style of furniture?” My answer to that question has always been rambling and indecisive – I love styles from the 15th century up to mid-century modern. But I now have a simple and direct response: I like blue furniture. If you subscribe to color theory, people react physically to different colors. Reds, yellows and oranges increase our […]

The post On the Merits of Blue Furniture appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I’m excited to be the newest addition to the Popular Woodworking staff. I’ve spent my career as a reporter, editor or copy desk chief for a number of newspapers, but most importantly, I’m an avid hobby woodworker. I’m the least accomplished woodworker on staff by far, but I have a passion for the subject and I’m looking forward to learning from readers and my co-workers. (Pins or tails first? Uh, […]

The post Hello – I’m Mike Wallace (No, not that one) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

I’ve enjoyed Chuck’s and Bob’s posts on design and recently had cause to think about them while working on a coffee table for an upcoming book on Mid-Century Modern furniture. At the risk of over-simplifying, these posts suggest an axis for approaching furniture design: on the one end, evaluate a class of furniture and synthesize elements to produce a design; on the other end, reproduce a piece to really understand […]

The post Design by Substitution appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.