The Beginning of the End (of this Weblog)
After 13 years and thousands of entries, it’s time to shutter this blog and move on to other things with my research, writing and – above all – woodwork. But before I stop, I’d like to say a few [...]
Fix Those Wonky Dowels
One of the great frustrations of using dowels in woodwork is that they are rarely round and they are almost never the exact size that you require. Why are they oval? Dowels, like, all round [...]
An Economy Tri-bolt for Folding Stools
Three-legged folding stools need a “tri-bolt” to allow the legs to fold in and out. Years ago, Tandy Leather offered an inexpensive tri-bolt, but it has been absent from the company’s inventory [...]
For Accurate Angles, Go to the Chalkboard
Laying out accurate angles on your work is critical. So it’s funny to me that we spend $100 on a Starrett square for 90°, then spend $1.59 on a plastic school protractor for every angle that [...]
Can Soap Flakes Go Bad?
I’m a big fan of a soap finish for certain projects. It doesn’t provide a lot of protection to wooden objects, but it is completely safe, easy to apply and quick to repair. But this week I [...]
Skip the Fancy Digital Indicators for Machines
I’ll probably get in trouble for this one, but here goes. Don’t waste your money on the digital indicators that people strap to their planers, drum sanders, drill presses and routers. They are [...]
Use Rosin to Tighten up Your Band Saw
No matter how nice your band saw is, it’s still a fussy instrument with a lot of settings that are shaken loose by vibration. A block of rosin can improve things immensely. Rosin is a tree-sap [...]
Hand Tool Headquarters of the Midwest
Finding quality used hand tools in the wild can be a challenge in the Midwest. Usually the best strategy is to attend a regional or national meeting of the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association [...]
The Case for Long, Long (16’) Lumber
I use Southern yellow pine for a lot of shop projects, especially for building workbenches and sawbenches. But I also use it for some furniture. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned in a [...]
Sorry, But I Have to Mention Fire Safety
Last week, the woodshop across the street from mine caught on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, the firemen arrived quickly and the damage wasn’t too bad – they’ll be back at work in a week. But [...]
Yes, Ripple Moulding Exists (and is Awesome)
Whenever I explain how “ripple moulding” is made by a “waving engine” – a circa 17th-century machine – most woodworkers are skeptical. First, they are skeptical that ripple moulding, which has [...]