Woodworking Posts

Eleven months ago, two planemakers decided to each build a scrub plane simultaneously and share progress pictures along the way. It was later dubbed the Scrub Plane Build-Off. The two planemakers were Scott Meek and me. The Inspiration On Saturday, I was tidying up in the shop and noticed that my shop stool was in … Read more »

The post Shop Stool Build-Off from Chris Wong appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Every time I purchase lacquer at a professional paint store, I have the following conversation. Me: “Could you put that gallon in the paint-mixing machine for a couple minutes? That will save me some time.” Employee: “I’ll do it, but you won’t like it. You’ll create bubbles in the finish.” Me: “I’ll risk it.” I’ve … Read more »

The post The Fear-Love Spectrum of Finishing appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Brian Denmeade, of Columbiana, Ohio, is the lucky winner of a Festool Kapex compound miter saw and Festool CT 26 dust extractor. Brian has been woodworking for 35 years; he enjoys making furniture for his family. You can see a small…

I’m installing 12 hinges today on a collapsible bookcase and about half of them are in tight quarters where no drill can go, and screwdrivers are no picnic, either. To make the job easier, I like to cut the screw threads in the pilot holes before assembling things. And because I have 72 screws to … Read more »

The post Blue Tape Improves Your Screwing appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

As a furniture-maker, turning was always an uphill battle for me. Every turning tool requires a different touch and a different sharpening approach. The problem was that I never practiced enough to keep my skills up. So every time I picked up a skew, I was a baby turner again. A few years ago I … Read more »

The post The Anarchist’s Gift Guide, Day 7 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Of all the variables of design, context is the easiest to miss. That is one of the powerful things about using SketchUp, you can easily compare one piece to another, add a human figure to the model or place the piece in a room setting. Seeing is believing and knowing is better than guessing. Yesterday … Read more »

The post Use SketchUp to Preview Proportions appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.