George sent me to Jack’s bench at the opposite end of the shop. His bench was more isolated from ours because the work he did in laying out needed more thought processing than the making did. You didn’t barge in on Jack, you quietly walked into his space and you stood there until he eventually…

Some things can seem contentious but mostly they are not meant to be so. At least that is here on my blog. Highlighting an issue that’s causing a problem is not necessarily anything more than pointing out a need to change. It’s not an opportunity to jump on someone or something. At least that’s what…

Not really, but it’s just a reference face and we generally need something to shoot for. What is funny is that those advocating this thing called dead flatness are the ones selling all the gear and the sooner the support gear wears out the sooner you are back for the next batch of abrasive paper,…

My week was more relaxed in many ways, more than usual. I cleaned up and put up after a hard month since Christmas which I really enjoyed because I love order. Wood got stacked, unusable offcuts sacked and delivered to friends and neighbours for supplementing their winter fuel. The garage workshop I work in and…

…things to consider It’s strange, really, when you think about it. Whenever you start any kind of retrofit, replacement of components, and especially something fitting into wood, you suddenly see that all things are not quite created equal. A half-inch becomes a little less and a little more. 12mm becomes 11.41 and the drill bit…

I have thoroughly tested the Spear & Jackson handsaws over several years, recommended them as an economical alternative to higher cost makes and those offered by premium makers. They might not look as nice but that they are every bit as good and even better as far as functionality goes than saws that sell for…

Sometimes, often, I see something emerge from what would almost become scrapped wood normally fit only for the fire. When I say emerge I am not talking Loch Ness monster rising from water shrouded in mist, just something that, well, surprises me. I crosscut my scraps and give a bag full of wood to friends…

Today I worked to declutter what is the area I’m setting aside for teaching autists and support workers, teachers and so on. Currently, it’s as much my research area as my apprentice’s workshop but it will be nice to have everything set up and clearly designated. I’ve set up the area where a cluster of…

It was a special moment, an offcut of ash 6″ wide, 1/2″ thick and before I knew it I had the mirror recessed to perfect depth and the shape came so naturally from a flat-bottomed spokeshave, a little rasp work and then some scraping with a card scraper followed by light sanding. It’s another prototype.…