As the “new guy” in any working environment, you are always subject to the time worn initiations from the more experienced guys. (Read More…)

The last few weeks, my wife and I have been talking about maybe trying to find a house that has a nice big garage that I could move my shop into. When I first started out, my shop was in the garage and I always enjoyed being able to pop into the house for a sandwich or a cup of coffee. (Read More…)

I recently completed a table with a purpleheart top glued up from two 18″ wide planks. I was faced with the age-old question of whether it is better to make a top from one or two wide boards or to use several narrow ones. (Read More…)

Back to the days when sanding was considered a “production method” and “real men” used scrapers to prep their surfaces for finish. Of course, it has always been understood that a card scraper in the right hands can produce a superior surface and in much less time than one smoothed with sandpaper. Plus, no garbage to toss out, no piles of exhausted sandpaper cluttering up the floor and benchtops. (Read More…)

We woodworkers seem to have a phobia about sanding. In most shops, sanding is considered a “bottom of the totem pole” job. The new guy always has to start out sanding and the guy who had been doing most of the sanding gets to graduate to more worthwhile work. (Read More…)

Big woodworking projects have one thing in common with Thanksgiving dinners. There always seem to be leftovers. (Read More…)

Am I the only one who is completely tired of crown molding? OK, there’s no doubt that crown is an easy way to dress up an otherwise uninteresting cabinet. It’s fairly easy to apply and available in most species of wood as well as pre-painted. But it seems like crown has become ubiquitous these days. (Read More…)

A few weeks ago I posted about acquiring an old PM160 planer. That machine is now “up and running” in my shop. (Read More…)

There is an ongoing discussion as to which is better, a conventional table saw or a sliding table saw. I have always maintained that, despite their obvious similarities, these are discretely different machines. If you can only afford or only have space for one, the decision should be made based on what your primary use is. (Read More…)

What the hey is “sun staining?” Good question and one that I found myself asking very recently. (Read More…)