Last week I worked on a how-to booklet written and unpublished from a decade and a half ago. Reworking the work took me back to those days when I began to use my first digital camera two decades back now. Digitals irreversibly changed the dimension of photography, but in the beginning, a camera now costing …
In my world, the real and true power in woodworking is in hand tools. Simplistic? Not at all. I deal with one of the two key realms that have gradually evolved in the world of woodworking. I am not interested in the so-called professional realm. Amateur woodworking is of primary importance to me because it …
The builders began demolishing the back of my house two weeks ago and brick by brick the walls came down. This has been the hard work because the only access to this part of the house was through a 30″ gateway. That meant that three piles of demolished bricks, concrete slab and rubble equal to …
Taking wood from the tree before going to the timber suppliers is called conversion. Conversion is the specific process of cutting the tree stem down its length in different ways to produce beams, boards and sections of wood before the drying and seasoning process begins. After conversion, the wood goes through a period of seasoning …
I have written often enough about preparing for a project from time to time, but thought then to put together something more cohesive, to help others to see what I actually go through in prefacing a project. I am still not done after eight episodes. Who would have thought it could take eight substantive blog …
Finally, we arrive at the workbench with wood. The sawhorses get stowed, wood is rough-cut to width-cut and length-cut and stacked alongside the bench. It’s here that I pull out four planes for possible use in the next few minutes and then for hours. My diamond sharpening plates are to my left hand on a …
In my covering going to the wood suppliers and the need for planning and observance, I have been able to obviate the attempt we must make to minimise wasting our precious time, money, and then too wasting that sense of positivity our searching for wood seems always to begin with. Disappointment of any kind is …
It’s all go at sellershome.com . Join me on the journey as we build a houseful of furniture pieces together with other woodworking projects you will need when you make and build all of the pieces you will need for a growing family home. It’s not new to me and I did learn a lot …
I reach for the hand plane I made the handle for and it’s sized to my hand and to the task for which I use it perfectly. I reach for another that looks identical because I made the handle for that plane too. Both totes and knobs were made by hand, by me and without …
I was at a show 20 years ago, sitting with the audience, when an English guru of woodworking told his watchers that they must always set the so-called chip-breaker (he really meant the cap iron but didn’t know it) as close as it was possible to the cutting edge and so close you could scarcely …
on Knowing your RouterYou know, there really is not that much to hand-tool woodworking. People often comment after I have said something like this, and it can be said disparagingly, that all you need is…
on Knowing your RouterHi Paul, After about five years of looking I finally purchased a number 71 from eBay which arrived yesterday. I will be rewatching your videos on sharpening, use etc and with a bit…
on A New week of flexing beginsLoosening my grip and using less force has really helped me a lot in my woodworking. Another hand tool woodworker and educator taught to "lift the weight" off the saw when starting…
on House Progress updateFor the last two years I have helped an old cancer survivor builder friend, whom I have tried to train in the use of hand planes, as we refurbish and refit a really old shop into s… on House Progress updateRight click and select reload page. Do that on the entire site you are visiting. I have reported this issue, as I've encountered it myself. Probably a cahche issue on the server ba…
on Experiential LearningSplitting green timber into staves is also useful for those making the likes of 'self wood' bows (archery), walking sticks and staffs, and some tool handles...
on Knowing your RouterI would like to read the blog comments. Where did they go?