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Paul Sellers

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More about your knife

More about your knife

Posted by on 30 Jun 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 0 comments

There is more value to a knife than cutting Sellotaped boxes It’s obvious from the emails that not everyone owns a specific joinery knife and is pleasantly surprised at the results in situations they have not seen before. Many obviously do not know that a knife is so intrinsic to general and fine woodworking. This is the sad demise resulting from iconic gurus in the so-called power-woodworking realms. Quite specifically, a joinery knife extends beyond joints and joint making into the broader Read More

The Stanley knife I use

The Stanley knife I use

Posted by on 28 Jun 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 10 comments

Someone posted on Youtube to ask me to talk about the Stanley knife I am using in my videos on making the European workbench used by joiners, carpenters and furniture makers through the centuries. I guarantee one thing, at least I think, they would have loved to own the Stanley knife I have been using for years. It has become the only knife I use for 99.99% of my work and every students that discovers it demands to know where they can get it. I walk in my local Richard Williams in Deganwy and buy Read More

R, Groves – tenon saw makers of note

R, Groves – tenon saw makers of note

Posted by on 22 Jun 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 5 comments

I have many different tenon saw types made by makers from the USA and England. I have used some from other European countries, but have not found the quality or a history for making fine tenon saws. Whereas Henry Disston (nothing to do with modern-day Canadian Disstons, which have made extremely low grade handsaws since the 60s) made the finest tenon and handsaws, one of the best makers I have enjoyed the work of is Robert Groves who started making saws in 1770. I have owned one 14” tenon saw for Read More

Thought for the day – The man says…

Posted by on 10 Jun 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 1 comment

A man came in the workshop and said, “I remember woodworking in school. He was 70. The other man says, “Me too.” They talk for a minute and say how much they love the smell, how bad they were at woodworking and how much they loved it. They talk about their woodworking teacher and remember every wart of personality in him and then say, “those were good days.” Another man comes in. He looks 65 and tells me he is 81. He says, “I loved woodworking classes at school, but by the time I could Read More

Shaving successes

Shaving successes

Posted by on 22 May 2012 in Paul Sellers' Blog | 1 comment

Shavings and sound prove success at many levels and what I see and hear as my students plane and saw, others are rarely conscious of. My way of measuring success is not in the pristine dovetail joint but the body stance each student has as they work. Self-discipline is key to proper development. It’s not my place to force this discipline but reinforce the essentiality that it comes from within. Soon, by self-discipline, they become what they once only dreamed of through working knowledge and developed Read More