This is the last weekend of the season for The Woodworking Shows’ show and I am amazed how far people have come to join us. The work behind the scenes continues to make the show a success and also stuff far beyond what anyone might see. Sherry Chadwick has quite a register of young people…
An interesting point just came up on the woodworkingmasterclasses.com forum and it’s something most people will not be aware of when restoring hand planes like the #4s, 4 1/2s, #5s and 5 1/2s. Cast iron soles of any and every type wear and wear quite quickly; more on some woods than others, end grain trimming…
Today’s bench build for giveaway The call went out for help a few days ago and it‘s looking good that we will build the bench and conclude it on Sunday afternoon. Over the years i have made about a hundred of these workbenches and taught people to make many hundreds more I suppose. It is…
Though I rarely have need for bench dogs as you know them, there are needs from time to time that could be simplified if you have them. On the Paul Sellers’ bench, filling the well area in front of the vise, I introduced a laminated wooden block made from two-by stock that can stay in…
I felt the blog on saws and sawing technique variations might be unclear so I added a couple of drawings to bring clarity here.
Stepping stones of influence affecting my life periodically trigger mechanisms that mark turning points of recollection. Like the time I cut my first ragged dovetails but determined they would be the worst ones I ever cut. Another powerful influence was a photograph of Edward Barnsley surrounded by youthful apprentices making early Arts and Crafts pieces…
I often receive emails asking me about more modern saw makers and apart from a couple of modern makers more involved in finessing the finished tools they make, I find myself unable to recommend most of the mass-made saws for one simple reason – hard-point teeth. Is it the hard-point teeth alone that fails the…
Many of you have written for advise on adding a bench vise to your new,y finished workbenches and of course there are many choices out there. I am fortunate in that I have access to secondhand ones in the UK and a good one will sell for about £50 more or less. One vise I…
We are in the middle of a bench making session and must complete it before the Sunday close of the show so we can pass it on to some young person between 18 and 25. I am demoing the mortise and tenon cutting and also making the housing dadoes during my demo time, but I…
NOTE:Just so you know, this is an older workbench series. Paul has a newer Workbench series. If you are interested in the updated version of Paul’s workbench please click the button down below. This page links to a cutting list, tools list, FAQS and much more. Click here to go to the workbench page Making…