A project can sound and look great in your head, and may even continue looking great once drawn up on paper. But sometimes your whole opinion changes when you actually build it. (more…)

How do you accurately re-create a 150+ year-old piece of furniture when no originals exist to look at? If you’re like me, you cross your fingers and take your best guess. (more…)

I’m a frugal shopper when it comes to shop supplies. But sometimes cost isn’t the issue, but plain old availability: If you need it, you get it wherever you can. (more…)

Good, bad or in between, using a new wood species for the first time is always an interesting experience. Last weekend, I used mulberry for the first time. (more…)

A major shop redo can be fun in spite of the scope of the project. But sometimes it’s the small adjustments that are the biggest chores. (more…)

I’ve put it off long enough: As soon as I finish writing this, I’m starting my taxes. If I don’t wrap it up today, it’ll be a weekend project. Oh, joy. (more…)

In a turnabout I find welcoming, U.S. manufacturer Lie-Nielsen Toolworks is sending tools to China instead of the other way around. (more…)

Since I don’t travel with a portable shop, woodworking away from home is difficult at best. But there are always compromises you can make. (more…)

Tool companies are always coming out with gimmicks and add-ons. The dumb ones are obvious, but some that seem dumb at first sometimes prove quite useful. (more…)

A tool I’ve used for ages turns 50 years old this year. Swell. Something else I thought had been around forever that turns out to be younger than I am. (more…)