This is one of my COVID-19 videos where I filmed ten full-length (rather long but still interesting) videos to encourage everyone to make with hand tools only. Really, it goes with the plane tote handle video I put up a couple of weeks ago as many people have no lathe, no turning tools, and no…

“Where do you get your wood from?” the man asked, as he wandered through the workshop, his eyes searching through the different colours for identity. My answer? “Well, anywhere and everywhere I can!” It was a truth I can now describe in a fullness many can’t. In some ways, I consider myself more an opportunist…

The river Thames flows deep in its current quietness, skirting the centre of the small town where I live. It somehow feeds life to the streets of Abingdon when my morning cycle ride takes me through the town for my morning exercise. Of course, it’s still much quieter than five months ago, and I like…

I found two plasterboard pallets (USA sheetrock) set aside and discarded. They were strong, heavily built from solid stock, in good condition. I retyurned with my trailer thinking they would make the roof and floor for my stud framer shed. I bought the studs and then used them for other things. A sandbox came as…

One of my COVID-19 lockdown efforts was to teach you how to make a plane handle without any machines. The video is out on YouTube here. My system is a knock your socks of way to a guaranteed quality outcome with just a few hand tools and an afternoon or so at the bench. You…

When I learned to sharpen a saw the first time the result was acceptable but mostly this was because my saw was new and it was a first time sharpening for me and it. The process seemed simple enough because it was a ripcut saw and the teeth are sharpened square across with the file…

It’s hard to say who came up with the first saws for woodworkers with hardened teeth. I first saw it in the USA in a catalogue maybe two decades ago where the description said, “Lasts five times longer than conventional saws!” This was a Spear and Jackson catalogue. Since then came the stupid names we…

I have considered this issue for a long time–a very long time. I always come back to the same place. In fairness to all, it is most unlikely that I would actually recommend new woodworkers to buy into and use Japanese pull-stroke saws. I think with good reason. Looking at the high standards of Japanese…

I have rehandled many planes in my time. Once, sadly, very sadly, I even used a power router to reshape the tote. I hated it! I hated the handle, the process, the method! I felt robbed, robbed by myself, I should never have done it, I binned it, along with the negative experience. I would…

Occasionally I take a short break from blogging because it gives me time to renew myself. I love to blog, don’t get me wrong. What I don’t like to do is churn out meaningless words just for the sake of indulging my writing. Same on other platforms too but especially is this so in my…