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If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing excessively. There are many bookcases in my house, but they’re a motley collection – poor cousins to the rest of the furniture. The really nice [...]

When crosscutting a series of short pieces from a longer board using the table saw’s miter gauge, it’s dangerous to use the rip fence as a stop. The freed pieces can get jammed between the blade [...]

While sawing dovetails for a jewelry box, I found my back was hurting from hunching over my bench vise. In order to work more comfortably, I built this vise extension that works on the same [...]

Two tones of color and sharp, square edges give this piece modern flair. Inspired by a design in the February 2008 issue of the German magazine Selbst, this “I Can Do That” project commenced (as [...]

Find magic in the mundane using this humble problem solver. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a woodworker is to never underestimate the seemingly mundane. I have found great [...]

All levels of finishing are burdened with myths, but the types of finishes used by amateurs and sold in home centers and woodworking stores suffer the most. Myths about polyurethane are a good [...]

I recently ran into a turning dilemma when my wife asked me to make her a quick, inexpensive lamp base. I decided that a two-piece base would do the trick, attaching a long, narrow “neck” to a [...]

Years ago I discovered Federal furniture and knew that with beautiful veneer, superb inlay and simple carving, this would be my furniture period of choice. Federal furniture has much to offer [...]

Small pieces transform your work from austere to awesome. Signature features of Federal-style furniture include bellflowers and stringing that often adorn furniture legs, but are also found on [...]

Online Extras from the August 2008 issue include a PDF presentation that shows the evolution of the Wayne Anderson Smoother, and the premiere Wood Whisperer video.

Connecting an Arts & Crafts icon with the men who made it 100 years ago. By David Mathias Page: 80 From the August 2008 issue #170 Buy this issue now On a Sunday afternoon not too long ago, I [...]

Awakening of a style. By David Mathias & Robert W. Lang Pages: 66-70 From the August 2008 issue #170 Buy this issue now One hundred years ago, two brothers were in the midst of an amazing [...]