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When you build a project for the first time, I’ve always found there are odd moments when you begin to doubt that what you are doing is correct. Sometimes these moments are followed by a [...]

There are a few construction challenges we’ve had to overcome, but I think we’ve done it without compromising any functionality or the spirit of the Roubo bench. The first obstacle [...]

It is simply astonishing how some commercial holdfasts are both ineffective and prone to self-destruction. It really is no wonder that woodworkers have switched over to some other sort of [...]

I’ve made a fair number of workbenches using Southern yellow pine (sometimes called longleaf pine) and it’s always been a challenge to get tight joints that stay closed after years of [...]

Holdfasts are an essential piece of workbench equipment. And when you use a good one, it’s like a mind-opening experience. A proper old school holdfast (occasionally called a bench hook) [...]

Do you have an hour? If so, click below to read the transcript of a taped interview of James Krenov that was conducted by Oscar Fitzgerald for the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project For [...]

Question: Hi, quick question. I recently finished smoothing a table top with my #4 smoothing plane and if the light hits the top right, I can see lots of planing lines. I tried to camber the [...]

If you use a miter plane for a lot of shooting, then you’ve probably lusted after the so-called “hot dog.” This hollow casting screws onto the side of your plane and makes it [...]

Question: Why doesn’t your article recommend pinned mortise and tenon, at least for the back three pieces? Instead you show pocket screws. – Pam Niedermayer Short answer: Because that [...]

After studying the topic of workbenches for years, it’s clear that – like automobiles – they’ve gotten much more complex since the heyday of the 18th century cabinetmaker. [...]