There’s something about holding workshops and having people come to learn. The age range varies markedly and I’m grateful for that because my craft is not age specific, gender specific but for everyone who chooses the master it. I’m half way through a three-day workshop at Penrhyn Castle and it’s going well. Student boxes stand…

Mortise in oak in 4 minutes OK, I hope you will take my word for it, but a 3/8″ (12mm) by 1 1/4″ deep by 2 1/4″ long mortise hole generally takes me about 4 minutes to chop in solid oak using my system and skill, a Marples blue chip bevel-edged chisel (not an Irwin…

More sunshine this morning. All the red leaves on the castle walls are gone, save for a few on the eastern side by the entrance. Everywhere lush and green and sheep and cattle graze down to the shoreline below the workshop.   There are many impressions from around the world that fashion our views of…

Yesterday I prepped my wood for planing and crosscutting and today I sized them further using the bandsaw and a series of hand planes including a Stanley #4 with the cambered cutting iron, my Sorby #5 ½ and my low angled Veritas jack plane in that order. It’s important that every stage is checked for…

I’m making a hope chest from oak for the next book due out in the new year. I’m working with the bandsaw on this one so there’s a lot to work through as we are principally using the bandsaw for al of the donkey work and following through with bench planes for surface planing and…

Veritas Gent’s saws In the history of things made, gent’s saws are common, small scale saws made for more refined gentlemen who enjoyed working wood. A range of different saws were designed for the enjoyment of class-separated woodworkers of distinction and the most common of all was the classic type shown here. Fine saws can…

Had a cracking time in the woodshop at Penrhyn Castle today. Why? Well, Eleanor, my daughter, came to visit with six of my grandchildren and after kicking ball around for a while to let off steam after the drive we spent an hour making spatulas – 8 in all including my own. The age range…

I have always had my family in the workshop working alongside me. That’s the most fun of all and something we as a family have always had as part of our life. This afternoon was fun and very relaxing in the Castle workshop. My son Joseph and his wife Kat were there whittling away on…

The Veritas pencil sharpener I never thought about an alternative pencil sharpener to my 1” chisel or even to what has become a conventional rotary pencil sharpener. I demand superfine long points for my layout work and truly fine lines. I was with Robin Lee at Veritas recently and he introduced me to a wonderful…