Promise to a Professor
Mr. Sheffield’s two-year writing slope. About a decade ago, I walked into my English professor’s office for advising and couldn’t take my eyes off of his homemade writing slope. He was talking [...]
Pick the Perfect Lock
The key to selection is knowing the terminology and how a lock works. Locks protect our worldly goods from outsiders who wish to take those goods from us. In earlier days, the use of furniture [...]
Mechanical Marvels or Steampunk Sporks?
Stanley No. 45 and No. 55 combination planes are put to the test. “This Universal Tool is a PLOW, DADO, RABBET, FILLETSTER, and MATCH PLANE, a BEADING and CENTER BEADING PLANE, a SASH PLANE and a [...]
Fish Eye & Silicone
The truth behind craters and ridges. If your finishing career has been limited to finishing projects you have made, you may never have experienced fish eye. But if you have done much refinishing, [...]
Tools from Down Under
Chris Vesper strives for precision and perfection in toolmaking (and dancing). Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking When it [...]
Hammer Veneering
Discover how and why this age-old hide glue technique works – and works best. One of the great hurdles for many woodworkers new to traditional craftsmanship is applying veneers to a wooden [...]
Festool Carvex PS 420 Jigsaw
Tool: Carvex PS 420 Jigsaw Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $390 Festool’s Carvex jigsaw has innovation written all over it. How much innovation? These jigsaws are available in both corded and [...]
Powermatic PM1000 Table Saw
Tool: Powermatic PM1000 Manufacturer: Powermatic MSRP: $2400 (50″ fence) This saw packs a professional punch for your home workshop. Powermatic’s PM1000 table saw isn’t over-shadowed by its [...]
Turn a Platter
Shop scraps and a few simple techniques will get you spinning along Large turning projects can be daunting. A large bowl, for example, requires gluing up a blank or sourcing part of a tree trunk. [...]
Cabinetmaker’s Tool Chest
Store all the tools you need in easy reach If I were to make three lists – the tools I want, the tools I own and the tools I need – the last would be the shortest. When I …
Keep Your Saws Sorted & Accessible
Whenever I work on a project, I end up with my handsaws scattered about the shop. I thought about storing them under my bench, but my bad back keeps me from being able to easily bend down, so it [...]
Kelly Mehler’s Plate Rack
Add pizazz to your kitchen with contemporary curves. This article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking For years, I’ve been trying to cajole Kelly Mehler to write [...]