Woodworking Posts

Early on in my woodworking career, I fancied myself a designer. I wanted to create new and exciting stuff and managed to have my work accepted in some pretty good arts & crafts shows. My qualifications? I had read “A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook”, had the tools, access to wood and I was willing to experiment. Thirty years later I still have some of those pieces and a few have sidled their […]

The post Learn to Design Furniture – Build Reproductions appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the roots of Arts & Crafts furniture and, in the comments, reference was made to “what makes a particular furniture style?” From the first time I took a class trip to Colonial Williamsburg (it was the Bicentennial…everyone went to Williamsburg, right?) I was drawn to period furniture – I didn’t know why but I liked it. I’ve been studying it so long there’s just lots of aspects […]

The post Design in Practice: Stylin’ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Whenever I write about threadboxes, my personal blog gets swamped with spam from the Pacific Rim. So batten down the firewalls, mateys. I started writing about the Moxon double-screw vise in 2010 (original post here) and have made many of them using a threadbox and tap that you can buy from many reputable woodworking stores. My first threadbox worked fine until it needed sharpening. The blade was so brittle that […]

The post Threadboxes: One More Song the Radio Won’t Like appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Because of the wealth of many excellent chairmakers who are teaching at Woodworking in America 2014 (Sept. 12-14, Winston-Salem. N.C.), among our session offerings is the Chairmakers’ Roundtable, on Saturday afternoon. Initially, the panel discussion was slated to include Peter Galbert, Drew Langser, Don Williams and Phil Lowe. Chuck Bender, who is also an excellent maker of things upon which to set your posterior, was scheduled to teach another session […]

The post Chairmakers’ Roundtable at Woodworking in America appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

It’s a strange world where I need to write a blog entry about this topic. Recently Editor Megan Fitzpatrick and I have been getting e-mails and phone calls with this basic question: “Why isn’t Schwarz going to Woodworking in America?” Then they ask: • Is it because Popular Woodworking Magazine doesn’t want him there? • Is it because I don’t want to attend? • Is Chris finally getting that gender-changing […]

The post About Me & Woodworking in America appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

When I teach people to sharpen edge tools, I am very much an “I’m OK, you’re OK” guy about the kinds of systems out there and whether you should use jigs or not. But there is one thing I’m all fire and waterstones about: Stick with one system until you know it – at least 12 months. I call it “sharpening monogamy.” I also practice “saw monogamy” and the regular […]

The post The Monogamy has Ended appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.