Frank Klausz: The Man Behind the Bowsaw
I have a strange relationship with Frank Klausz. Frank doesn’t know it, but I’ll share it with you. I went to work with my father in his custom woodworking shop when I was in high school, and [...]
Grain-painting Done Well – Quite Well
When people ask me what foods I hate, I usually say, “I’ll eat anything, as long as it’s prepared well.” I didn’t like Brussels sprouts until I had them roasted. I didn’t like oysters until I [...]
Sharpening Shortcuts
It goes without saying that there is a renewed interest in hand tool woodworking, and much has been written on the topic, and that’s great because there really is a lot to know about these [...]
Friends of the Finisher: Glazes, Toners & Wax
Here’s a common and frustrating finishing problem: You apply finish to your piece, and one of the parts – say a rail or a stile – ends up a slightly different color or shade. The off-color piece [...]
Pattern-transfer Tip from Mary May
I just finished the binder read-through for the December 2014 issue, and in it, Mary May has an article titled “Woodcarving Basics.” Therein, she shares the tools and techniques you [...]
Your Passion for Woodworking Could Pay
We’ve just posted two positions – one to conceive of, acquire and edit woodworking books; the other to conceive of, storyboard, direct, film and edit woodworking videos – for the Popular [...]
Linseed Oil, an Ancient Friend (and Foe)
When Egyptian King Tutankhamun was buried in haste, the linen cloth he was wrapped in was soaked with linseed oil. And, perhaps because Tut was buried in haste, the oil was not allowed to cure. [...]
Favorite Woodworking Book Buys of 2014 (Thus Far)?
I’m looking for a gift list to give to my mom, brother, etc., and I like books – the old-fashioned kind. Paper. Ink. Binding. Words on a page. So, I want to know your favorite [...]
Beyond The Vise: Workholding For Hand Tools
Why go beyond the vise? While most workbenches include a vise, it’s not always effective for all hand tool work. Things get even more difficult if you don’t have a good vise, or are [...]
Classifying Greene & Greene — Designing with an Aesthetic Utility
Is Greene & Greene actually a part of the Arts & Crafts Movement? Lately, there has been discussion that would bring this into question. It is undeniable that their work was highly [...]
Designing with Chalk
You may recall that a few months ago, I tore out my old kitchen and built new cabinets, installed a new floor, a farmhouse sink, etc. etc. But once everything was fully functional, well, I moved [...]