I built four Krenov-style sawhorses about ten years ago and they have served me well. I made them from softwood lumber (pine, I think) using through mortise and tenon joinery. I wedged the tenons of the stretcher, but elected not to reinforce the leg-to-foot joints. Recently, on a couple of the horses, those leg-to-foot joints … Continue reading We Learn More Through Our Failures Than Our Successes
An experiment to see how quickly a wooden cutting board is rendered unusable I made this cutting board and designed it to fail, but it didn't fail as I expected! Here are the "bad decisions" that I made in an attempt to accelerate the failure of the cutting board. Low density wood I used butternut, … Continue reading When Something is Expected to Fail but Doesn’t
There is a product for sale I am thinking about that seems rather expensive for what it is. However, I cannot knock the design or quality (although I do wish for one modification!) It is simple in design, and neither tight tolerances nor a high degree of precision are required. The basic process of making … Continue reading The Cost of a Product
My favourite screwdriver is a ratcheting one by Rolgear. Years ago, I replaced the stock double-ended bits with an assortment of 3" single-ended bits. Multi-bit screwdrivers like this one are very handy, as they hold 7 screwdriver bits and have a 1/4" hex drive socket which can be useful for sheet metal screws. However, if … Continue reading Reassessing and Looking for Ways to Improve
In my last post, I wrote about the challenges I faced getting some work done by contractors. The problem seemed to be a lack of caring. But how do you get workers who care? The three answers that come to mind are: do it yourself, enforce it or encourage it (with carrot or stick, to … Continue reading Cost Over Lifetime
I have always been a little obsessed with screwdrivers. Maybe it’s because I like using screws so much - for their adjustability, holding power, and reversability. In my shop, fasteners are organized in clear plastic divier boxes, each of which holds between 3 and 8 different varieties. I have one dedicated to nails, 10 devoted … Continue reading Making a More Efficient Screwdriver
Last month, I set a record for the largest batch of live-edge cribbage boards made in my shop: 17. I had dedicated cutting, sanding and spray finishing stations set up and was in full production mode working carefully and efficiently. My goal was to build up enough inventory to have a good selection available, and … Continue reading Largest Batch of Live-Edge Cribbage Boards Complete
Reminder: Introductory pricing on live-edge cribbage boards expires Saturday night. I feel that my time is limited and valuable. I am usually trying to get the most impactful tasks done as quickly as possible and ignoring the less pertinent ones. But, sometimes, it is a good idea to take a break from directly trying to … Continue reading Sometimes You Just Need to Stop Working and Get Organized
I will be increasing the prices of my live-edge cribbage board on November 1, 2020. Any orders received on or before Halloween will be at the current pricing. Shipping is, and will continue to be free for North American destinations. Currently, I am working through a sizeable stack of cribbage boards that I harvested in … Continue reading Cribbage Board Update
This photo in my Twitter feed caught my eye. It’s a long workpiece being supported by a custom-built support resting on top of a platform. The photo was taken by Dominic of Be Inspired With Dominic. It may not seem noteworthy, and perhaps it is not worth a blog post, but I noticed that the … Continue reading Know the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Materials
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 