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The Anarchist’s Gift Guide is a yearly list from Chris Schwarz that puts an end to the question of what Uncle Woodworker wants for Christmas. Each entry recommends items that are simple, inexpensive and that a woodworker will actually use throughout the year.
If you’re not a woodworker but you’ve got one on your holiday shopping list, look no further. We’ve pulled together all of Chris’ posts and put them in order here. If you are a woodworker, subtly slip the words “Anarchist’s Gift Guide” into conversation. Or just print out what you like and put it on the fridge – whatever works.
2018
The key to good rip cuts is a good rip fence. The Biesemeyer table saw fence is so much a part of the modern shop that the name is almost an adjective: Even if your saw’s fence is designed by the maker of your saw, it’s probably a “Biesemeyer-style” fence. It’s a fantastic, trustworthy fence,…
Installing the hinges. Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 Most of the time, when building furniture or boxes, I opt for high-quality extruded brass butt hinges, such as those made by Brusso. These hinges are superbly machined from an extruded brass…
Here are the online extras for the February 2025 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Interested in having the magazine delivered directly to your mailbox (physical or email) six times a year? Subscribe here. Download: Headphone lamination curve bending template (svg file) Download: Headphone stand base template (svg file) Product RecommendationsHere are some supplies and tools…
Practice some mass-assembly techniques to create this elegant stand. Project #2501 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 2 Days • Cost: $35 You know how it goes, you spot a need that you can fill with a woodworking project. In this case, I needed a place to put my headphones, as well as a tray…
I’ve been getting into laser engraving and cutting in a big (and small) way. I continue to be impressed by what today’s laser engravers/cutters can do. Chief among them is the huge range of projects they can handle with almost no restrictions on the size of the finished projects themselves. In most cases, you need…
Joinery machines are much more than one-trick ponies. Here’s an intro, and why you should consider adding one in your shop. There are several machines that come up as “shop necessities”. Table saws, jointers, planers, and band saws are the most common ones. In my opinion, there’s a new class of machine that needs to…
The key to good rip cuts is a good rip fence. The Biesemeyer table saw fence is so much a part of the modern shop that the name is almost an adjective: Even if your saw’s fence is designed by the maker of your saw, it’s probably a “Biesemeyer-style” fence. It’s a fantastic, trustworthy fence,…
Keeping warm: What jackets should you be wearing in the workshop? Every year as the days get shorter and the temps get lower, woodworkers emerge from pseudo-hibernation to go into their shops and build throughout the long winter months. There are a lucky few of you who have fully insulted, heated shops, but the vast…
Tool: Scriber Buy Now Manufacturer: Tooley Park MSRP: £28 20% discount on the scribers this week (ends Sat 8th Feb) with the code TPF1 at checkout! There are often times, where there’s simply no substitute for the right tool. A good scriber is one of those tools. Whether its leveling chair legs, scribing a cabinet, or…
Installing the hinges. Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 Most of the time, when building furniture or boxes, I opt for high-quality extruded brass butt hinges, such as those made by Brusso. These hinges are superbly machined from an extruded brass…
Accidental musing on craftsmanship and building things to last. On a cold rainy day in December 2014, I was returning home from running errands in my Washington, D.C., neighborhood. Diane Rehm was discussing Russia on NPR. I was thinking about the leftover pizza I was going to eat for lunch before heading into the shop….
Tool: Robin Wood Axe Buy Now Manufacturer: Wood Tools MSRP: £69 (about $85) As a bowl carver, I am frequently asked about recommendations for beginner sets of tools. Though the Robin Wood Axe is always on that list, it’s not just a beginner’s axe. Weighing in at 1 pound, 9 ounces, it is a midweight carving…
2017
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
Every year with this gift guide, I recommend one tool that is just a little more expensive than the others but is definitely worth the money. This year it’s the Lee Valley Cast Masons & Engravers’ Square. This is a new item in Lee Valley’s catalog, and the minute I saw it, I ordered one….
If were being honest, woodworking would be a lot more difficult in the winter months without O’Keeffe’s Working Hands. I have a container of this at my workbench and by my computer. It is the only thing that keeps my fingers moving smoothly over my tools and the keyboard. I know there are a lot…
I love wooden tool handles. Their only downside is they break and need to be repaired or replaced. If you prefer to repair your tool handles, the inexpensive Clamptite tool is your best friend. The Clamptite is a bit difficult to explain to people who haven’t used it. Basically, it is a device that can…
If you build traditional drawers without metal slides, then “drawer tape” is something you should probably become acquainted with. Sometimes sold under the brand Nylo-Tape, this stuff is great for fixing drawers or any other sliding assembly that has become worn from use. My tool chest, for example, has three sliding tills that get moved…
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
I’m a bit ashamed of how long it took me to buy an inexpensive block of rosin and put it in my tool chest. Rosin, also called calophony, is derived from pine sap and increases friction on anything you rub it upon. That means that your slippery bench dogs or planing stop will suddenly stand…
The wire nails at the home center stink for making furniture. Don’t even think of them as nails. They are more like greased straws than they are fasteners. Once you try Rivierre forged nails, I think you’ll develop a deep respect for the nail that has Roman DNA. Nails built this country. At one point…
Hand-tool woodworkers love mutton tallow as a lubricant for saws, auger bits and the soles of our handplanes. A smidge of the stuff will make your tool slide easier – and your shop will smell like lambchops. But because of animal-rights concerns, mutton tallow is shunned by some woodworkers. (They already shun paraffin because it…
2016
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
At the conclusion of every gift guide, I like to offer a tool that is a bit expensive but will change the way you work or – at the least – wildly exceed your expectations. This year, it’s the Blue Spruce Try Square. When I first saw photos of the square on the Internet, the…
The following statement contains 99 percent corn, but the remaining 1 percent is what gets me moving in the morning. The greatest woodworking gift isn’t a tool or a shop accessory. It’s watching someone else fall in love with the craft based on something you’ve done. If there’s someone in your life who might be…
I have worked out of an 18th-century-style tool chest since 1997 or so, but I still love a good metal toolbox. They are great for moving tools to a jobsite or storing a dedicated set of wrenches or a socket set. The plastic or sheet-metal toolboxes at home centers do nothing for me. The plastic…
Jameel “Jamal-Alabama” Abraham of Benchcrafted introduced me to these bits, and I still need to repay the favor with beer and/or bratwurst. These bits are the cat’s meow, knees and pyjamas. Made in Japan, the WoodOwls cut through tough, wet, thick wood like it almost isn’t there. When you drill a lot of holes through…
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
I am not a joiner. Well, I am a joiner in that I join pieces of wood. But I don’t join clubs. I dislike clubs. But despite this, I love being a member of the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association (MWTCA). It’s a bunch of the nicest old dudes and women in the world who collect…
A lot of woodworking problems can be avoided simply by monitoring the relative humidity in your shop with a simple and inexpensive hygrometer. In most areas of the United States, the target relative humidity for inside buildings is 35 to 45 percent, though that will vary if you live in a desert or a swamp….
2015
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
I do almost no power sanding. But I do use abrasives in my work. And the only abrasive I use is Abranet. I hesitate to call it “sandpaper” because it is absolutely nothing like sandpaper. There’s no paper – it’s a woven mesh. And the abrasive is nothing like sand. But it lasts forever, doesn’t…
Every year I recommend one tool that is a bit spendier than the rest, and this year it is the Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide. Thomas Lie-Nielsen first showed me the prototypes about eight years ago, and it was a long and involved path for the company to get this tool into production. Like the company’s chisels…
During the last few years as I have turned my back on finishes with lots of volatile organic compounds, I’ve begun looking for traditional high-quality finishes that won’t shorten my lifespan. I’ve bought a lot of beeswax from a lot of different sources, from national manufacturers to the individual beekeeper. They all work, but the…
Good nails have been used in fine furniture for centuries. But during the last 100 years, nails have earned a bad reputation among furniture makers. That’s because good nails (cut nails and forged Roman-style nails) disappeared and were replaced by wire nails. Wire nails are cheap, don’t need a pilot hole and don’t hold for…
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
If you use only hand tools, this isn’t going to interest you much. If you use machines, read carefully. Lubrication makes a huge difference when you work alone. Moving heavy slabs across a jointer, table saw or through a planer can be difficult if you are on your own. For me, the difference between sore…
I promise this is not an all-Starrett Christmas. Truth is (I hate to say) the last few things I’ve bought new from Starrett have been disappointing (especially a small pair of dividers). This tool, however, has not been a disappointment. Quite the opposite. For years I struggled with compasses in the shop. They were not…
2014
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
Like last year, I am ending this gift guide with a tool that is a little expensive but will change your work to the core. (Last year is was an EasyWood Full-Size Rougher turning tool.) This year it is the best mortising gauge ever made: the Veritas Dual Marking Gauge. Anyone who has worked with…
You do not need a complete set of 11 chisels from the 1/8” up to the monster 2”-wide chisel. Sure, the part of you that also collects Hummel figurines really wants a complete set, but most of the chisel sizes will go unused – even if you are an active woodworker. Your work and your…
I have owned several plant sprayers since Harrelson Stanley of Shapton USA introduced them to me in 2003 as a great way to keep your waterstones wet. Of all the sprayers I’ve used, this sub-$10 one from Home Depot or Lowe’s is by far the best. It’s sold under the “Project Source” label and is…
It is not always the screw’s fault. Yes, home-center wood screws are too soft. Some off-shore screw manufacturers use substandard materials and manufacturing processes. But sometimes it’s your screwdriver that’s at fault (or the, cough, screwer). Many modern screwdrivers are too soft or poorly ground. It’s enough to make you reach for a nail gun…
Woe is the poor glue scraper. There are no toolmakers crafting these tools with rosewood handles and German silver accents. No annoying forum threads that debate the merits of the different handle angles and blade widths. The glue scraper is the squirrel exhibit at the zoo. Once you get a Benchcrafted Skraper, however, the heavens…
If you read this blog regularly, you should be sick of this suggestion: Buy Pégas coping saw blades. Hoard them. I do – and I’m not generally a hoarder. I have about 150 stashed away in case Pegas doubles the price or stops making them this well. I don’t have evidence that either event will…
2013
Welcome to the 2020 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! There’s something for everyone, whether they’ve been holed up in the shop for years or are just starting out. The Gift For All Woodworkers: Woodworking Magazine Reprints Buy Now Manufacturer: Popular Woodworking Price: $9.95/issue Woodworking Magazine ran from 2004 to 2009 and featured no fluff,…
Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter. Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having…
As a furniture-maker, turning was always an uphill battle for me. Every turning tool requires a different touch and a different sharpening approach. The problem was that I never practiced enough to keep my skills up. So every time I picked up a skew, I was a baby turner again. A few years ago I…
The last two items on my list are for woodworkers who have been very good this year. They are a bit more expensive than the other items on my list, but they are excellent tools. Of those last two items, the first is the Saddle-Tail from Sterling Tool Works, a one-man toolmaking company in Maryland….
I cannot give you the gift of better eyesight in the shop because, oh, wait, I actually can. Speaking as someone who has had pitiful eyesight since first grade, I have always looked for ways to improve my marking tools. Without a doubt, the one tool that has improved my game more than any other…
OK, I’m going to sound like I have a “man crush” on Joel Moskowitz with this blog entry. But when I think about the simplest inventions in my lifetime that have changed my work, the Gramercy holdfast is pretty much at the top of my list. For just $35 you can get a pair of…
My first experience using shellac in the mid-1990s was a disaster. The stuff wouldn’t dry. And when it did finally, kinda dry it was a gummy mess. So I stuck to pre-cat lacquer and other film finishes. However, since then, I’ve gotten my hands on some very good, fresh and pure shellac from Tools for…
We woodworkers work hard to put stuff together. But we suck eggs when it comes to taking things apart. Every woodworker – no matter how skilled – needs an “iron crow.” It’s a thin-bladed pry bar that can actually get inside of cabinets and lever parts apart. I used to have one made from an…
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
