Drayton Hall: A Brick and Cypress Time Machine
Drayton Hall in Charleston, S.C., is a time capsule of architecture and joinery. It also is a mighty beautiful place to get killed. The first time I visited this antebellum plantation on the [...]
The Last Project
When I was in Charleston, S.C., last week one of the tour guides said something about cabinetmaker Thomas Elfe that stuck with me. “Most of his work is buried in the ground.” One of [...]
A Visit to Thomas Elfe’s House
“Charlestonians thought of themselves as Englishmen who happened to be living in America, and naturally did everything possible to emulate the life of London society.” – E. [...]
A Musical Use for Exotic Scraps — The Daxophone
“What in the world are these? And how can they make music?” Those were the first thoughts that went through my head when I viewed this picture. Beautifully crafted, these strips of [...]
A Comparison of Benchtop Variable Speed Lathes
A tool that I noticed in more than one booth at AWFS (Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers) this year is a benchtop lathe. Manufacturers are hopeful that woodworkers plan to turn [...]
Raising a Real Woodworker
We never know what will stick with our kids. We hope it’s the good things, but we can’t predict if they will remember to be polite to their elders, or the vocabulary to use when [...]
Sharpening etiquette help needed
Last time I visited Kelly Mehler’s school, I admired the fine sharpening set-up he had. People who are serious about woodworking have permanent sharpening stations, and Kelly’s is top [...]
No ones perfect!!! Twin Kitchen Hutches #12
This is the last chance I have to sand the interior edges of the face frames. Once installed, it would be practically impossible to sand properly at the shelves level. [...]
OPEN END AND RING SPANNER THROUGH ASH LOG
RING AND OPEN END SPANNER THROUGH ASH LOG HOLE IN LOG 1/4 INCH SHAFT ON RING SPANNER IS 1/4 X 3/8 – RING SPANNER / WRENCH BOTH ENDS 3/4 INCH OVERALL SIZE.…
"Caption the Photo" Winner
Thank you all. We received more than 150 entries in our “Caption the Photo Contest.” But curses on those who mentioned “The Macarena” , that song has been [...]
Neener, Neener, Tofflemeier
I’m a child of the Cold War. I remember the drills in elementary school where we curled up under our desks in the event of a nuclear attack (to kiss our butts goodbye I suppose). One of my [...]
SPANNER/WRENCH/THRU LOG
AS WE IN THE UK CALL IT A SPANNER ?YOU CALL IT A WRECH?? TOOK 5 HOURS TO DO BUT I AM HAPPY WITH MY END PROUDUCT. THE WRENCH/SPANNER THRU A LOG. AS YOU CAN SEE HOLE IS 1/2 INCH …