My hope chest has several rails to interconnect at the corners. Tough wood being made from solid oak, but I’m planing them by hand quite easily using hand planing methods I’ve used for 45 years and the same methods used by woodworkers for centuries. Old fashioned? No, not really. These methods are ideal for developing…
No matter what you might think. No matter the flourish and flick of the magician plane salesman’s wrist, or the expert presentation of magazine writers or the gurus of woodworking shows, planes remain an evolutionary work in progress. Planes come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and working on my new book has…
New Legacy USA Another friend and fellow woodworker, Nick, timberframes structures of all shapes and sizes to create buildings that last and he’s very much a part of a new work in New York that will begin in the New Year. This timberframed structure believe it or not is a legacy in its structured value…
I took some time out for a walk, to see the Autumn in its final month. The atmosphere still feels charged with October’s seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness as I walk (John Keat’s poem of 1820). Sunday is always a good day for a walk after spending time with family and friends indoors, especially…
My Hope chest progress up to Saturday evening. I just wondered what time it would take averaged over three mortises so I set the stopwatch on my iPhone and clocked the time at 9 minutes and 20 seconds working steadily with no breaks and allowing no time for moving the hole position along the vise….
How can wood resist the cut of sharpened steel that splits and separates the fibres deep? Cells tight-held resist and yet then as if commanded yield quick to split and riving deepens beyond my gaze chased by the chisels wedged edge. How can the densest wood resist the cut of sharpened steel that penetrates the…
Can’t begin to tell you all how much I enjoyed this class. I sometimes wonder if my students can imagine that I get more out of the classes than they do, or at least as much. Seeing bright-eyed individuals gain so much in such a short time has always amazed me and here is the…
Square legs have their place in furniture pieces, yet shaped ones define styles. It’s a challenge to come up with new ones and keep them as yours. Imagine a style if you will. We have lots to choose from and too many to list. Today I shaped the legs of my new Hope chest using…
Dawn is later now. The winds have died down and the rain has gone as I prepare for the day at Penrhyn Castle. I would that I could walk this morning but that wasn’t going to work this time. John is a live-in apprentice with my family and we drove in together. The road is…
My friend Marty. While I was in New York I spent a few hours with my friend Marty who makes violins and mandolins. Very beautiful instruments. We talked about his work mostly, and other aspects of woodworking generally. He and I have a lot in common as do many of my friends there. Our children…