I recently needed to make some wall-shelves. I needed three, they needed to fit on a specific wall, and they had to be made of a light-coloured wood. I didn't have any other criteria or requirements. The piece of wood I chose to use was a yellow birch cant about 4 x 6 x 36 … Continue reading When Curves Are Easier Than Straight Lines
Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, I can share this fun little project. After finding a suitable scrap of hardwood, I printed a template and glued it on with a thin coat of wood glue. I let it dry for about ten minutes, then used a small plunge router with a ball nose bit to … Continue reading Carving A Heart-Shaped Dish for Valentine’s Day
Things have been busy for me over the last few years and I've been very active in the shop with regular things like organization, maintenance, and tweaks to the shop layout. The focus has also shifted towards product development, although I'm approaching the testing phase (if you're interested in being a tester, subscribe to my … Continue reading A Simple But Practical Storage Project
I've written many interesting articles for Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement Magazine over the past 12 years, but this idea presented to me by editor Rob Brown was one of the most intriguing and challenging. The premise was simple: you're interested in doing woodwork, but lack tools beyond the absolute basics like hammer, screwdriver, tape … Continue reading How to Get into Woodworking for $1000
The latest issue of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement is focused on routers and has not one, not two, but three of my articles in it. I had fun challenging myself to put together ten Simple Router Improvements, and executing those ideas. Also in the issue is a short article I wrote about Router Collets … Continue reading Three Articles Published in February/March Issue of Canadian Woodworking
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
Recently, I needed to trim 50 protruding dowels flush with the surface. I started by using a flush cut handsaw to trim any that were sticking out more than 1/16”. Now, in my experience, flush cut saws are good at making cuts against a surface without damaging it, but they actually do not work well … Continue reading Making a Flushing Plane
Stains, dyes, and even most “clear” finishes change the appearance of the surface to which they are applied. (For the clearest finish, a water based urethane or super blonde shellac are among the best choices.) Decorative finishing effects can be applied by using a combination of stains, dyes, paint, or other means. Recently, I had … Continue reading Painting, Staining, Dyeing and Burning Wood
This post is the result of a comment on a recent post asking for a recommendation of a scrub plane. I cannot make recommendations without first explaining the basis of my viewpoint, so here we go! A scrub plane is a short-bodied plane (about 9-10 inches long) with a radiused edge on the blade. Its … Continue reading What Makes a Good Scrub Plane?
Cabinetry is not something that I do very often, but when we decided to redo our half-bathroom, I decided to custom-build a cabinet with a live-edge counter top and a shelf to better utilize the oddly-shaped space behind the door. The cabinet was pretty standard, but I didn't have any edge banding. With all the … Continue reading A Built-In Cabinet with Live-Edge Counter Top
