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So you can’t afford (insert dream tool here). Boo hoo. Hit the flea markets then start making sawdust. Yeah, you heard me. Oh sure, I know exactly how it is. The new catalogs come piling into [...]

A great all-around kitchen utensil. Here’s a great kitchen utensil you’re sure to find indispensable. These wooden tongs feature a unique spring tab mechanism built into a knuckle joint. The [...]

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Logan and Phil catch up on listener comments, shop updates, and all that is going on with ShopNotes, Woodsmith, and PopWood over the [...]

Discover what really matters when choosing a handsaw. You don’t have to be a saw maker to think about saws like one. Some of the most important decisions made when making a saw get surprisingly [...]

Parting and Pulling Techniques Part 1: Introduction • Part 2: Push and Peel Knife Maneuvers • Part 4: Rounding the Tree • Part 5: Sculpting the Branches • Part 6: Attach to The Base Continuing [...]

John, Phil, and Logan are back in the podcastery making small batch podcasts for your listening pleasure! On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast the topic of discussion is new tools, making [...]

Scientific Name: Acer rubrum Other Common Names: Carolina red maple, Drummond red maple, Red maple, Scarlet maple, Swamp maple, Water maple. This wood is often found in the same bin as Silver [...]

I’m a great fan of aerosol finishes, especially now that many of them have adjustable tips that make much less splatter. But my shop got so cluttered with half-used cans that I had trouble [...]

The best work is often built one piece at a time, so toss your cutlist. I have been in professional piano repair and tuning for more than 30 years. My father taught me how to tune by ear. That’s [...]

Safer strippers are having a ‘green’ revival. Methods for removing old paint and finish from furniture have gone through at least four distinct periods. Before solvents became widely available, [...]

Turn a contractor’s tool into a precision woodworking machine. I don’t know of too many woodworking shops, whether home or professional, that don’t have a miter saw as part of their equipment. A [...]

The strong adhesive and tough plastic of packaging tape allow it to work as a hinge on long, mitered corners. After carefully cutting the miters, lay the boards outside-face up and side by side [...]