Anatomy of A Log
Tree Anatomy In woodworking, we’re generally concerned about the sapwood, heartwood, and annular rings (which is what we see as “grain pattern”). The slower a tree grew, the tighter the annular [...]
Rustic Chair
Harvest green wood saplings, bend ’em, nail ’em and sit yourself down. You can make a pretty good case for bending and attaching green wood sticks as the second oldest wood-furniture [...]
Milling Lumber with a Chainsaw Mill
When it comes to milling lumber, chainsaw mills offer a low cost of entry, with some big capacities. The more and more I get wrapped up in the milling, logging, and lumber industry, the more and [...]
Square a Board with Jointer and Planer [Video]
Good stock is the foundation of a good project. But if your foundation isn’t square you’re going to have issues. Learn how to use a jointer and planer to square your stock and create [...]
Guide to Finishing 11 Common Woods
Improve your results by understanding wood characteristics. Each species of wood has unique finishing characteristics, both positive and negative. To help you determine how to choose the right [...]
On Wood Selection
Both fast- and slow-growing wood present good opportunities. Wood selection is an important part of any woodworking project. I sometimes feel like I take it to an extreme, like I’m some kind of [...]
Preparing Rough Stock [Video]
Chris Schwarz demonstrates how to prep rough stock in this classic Popular Woodworking video. …
Lumber-Drying Clamps
I’ve dried my own lumber for years, but I always had a problem getting enough weight on top of the stack, to keep the upper boards from warping. Here’s a solution: Use clamps made from threaded [...]
PVC Lumber Storage
In need of some quick lumber storage, I rummaged around my shop for a solution. I discovered a length of PVC pipe left over from a plumbing job and cut it into three 12″ pieces. I also [...]
To Build or Buy?
Cost, time, and a spouse’s patience help determine the course of action. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the November 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking. It’s a [...]
Wood Too Good to Burn
Look to your firewood pile for plenty of project inspiration. I’ve been cutting up my leftover bits of green wood for firewood to use in my new workshop. It’s not going well. I have a feeling [...]
The Right Way to Prepare Lumber
To true your wood with machines, the steps you follow are critical. This time-tested procedure is the best way we know of. I get to meet many woodworkers around the country at woodworking [...]