I’ve always been intrigued about the history of the way some English-trained woodworkers set out their dovetail joints using dividers. I first learned to use this method – which I love – from Rob Cosman. He learned it from legendary craftsman Alan Peters. But where did Peters learn it from? I don’t know, so I’m [...]
My credit card is groaning a bit thanks to all the hardware samples I’ve been ordering to find a selection of quality brasses for some Campaign-style pieces I’m building. Today I received a chest pull that I ordered from Londonderry Brasses of Cochranville, Penn. I have some other pieces on order from Londonderry, but this [...]
When you buy vintage Stanley planes in the wild, one of the most common problems is the tote – and sometimes the knob – are trashed. My first No. 5 had a crude replacement tote that was so poorly rasped that it looked like it was furry. I’d always intended to make a replacement but [...]
The experience of baby-proofing a room for the first time can be an overwhelming one for new parents. With your child's safety at stake, it is incredibly important to pay attention to details and to change your habits so that you are not likely to undo your work with one ill-placed object. Luckily, by following [...]
When I took my first woodworking class in 1993 I was gung-ho to learn two things: through-tenons and through-dovetails. At the time I was intoxicated by Arts & Crafts furniture and exposed joinery. For many woodworkers, I suspect that exposed joinery sends a message: This piece is made well. It’s not made using corrugated fasteners, [...]
In this business, there are a few things you don’t share: Finishing secrets, wood sources and saliva. This post breaks one of those three cardinal rules – revealing excellent wood sources. Last week Andy Brownell took me to a lumber supplier that has been sitting under my nose since I moved to Cincinnati in 1996. [...]
While Horton Brasses has agreed to produce some custom pieces of campaign hardware for the chest/secretary I’m building for Popular Woodworking Magazine, that doesn’t squelch my desire to see what other makers have on offer. So I ordered a load of campaign brasses from Ansaldi & Sons of Hudson, N.H. The company has a wide [...]
After posting this story about the campaign-style fork and knife, I got an e-mail from woodworking researcher extraordinaire Jeff Burks. Burks, a trade carpenter, is a voracious collector of books, magazines and journals relating to woodworking. He also spends a lot of time researching patents related to tools and the trade. Which brings us to [...]
When I hang out with other woodworkers, the conversation almost always turns to what we are building now and what we are building next. Recently I said something I didn’t think I’d ever say: “I want to build a fork.” As I’ve been digging deeper into the 250-year history of campaign furniture, I’m turning up [...]
In 19th-century English workshops you could be sacked (fired) for wearing eyeglasses. There are even accounts of how a shop might have a certain phrase that was spoken when the master was about to walk through the workroom. When that phrase was uttered, all the eyeglasses would go into hiding. I would have been fired [...]
Campaign chests had to take a beating. They traveled all over the British Empire during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. And yet they bore their burden without complaint or explanation. Which is to say: When you look at most campaign chests, it’s unclear how they were constructed. Yes, the drawers were dovetailed. But [...]
We recently finished the construction of an unusual stair railing. The homeowner wanted a unique look and a style to complement his home. The newel posts are solid douglas fir and distressed for an aged look. The top and bottom rails and the cross members are 2 x 6 alder that has been distressed as well. [...]
Envi wall mounted heater is one of the best heaters that we have ever bought. My wife and me decided to go green this year and buy this energy efficient heater. This heater has highly efficient techno