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
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
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?
Using a hand plane to shave down a piece of timber is a delightful experience for all, regardless of age, woodworking ability or interest. There is something so satisfying about it. The slow pace of running a plane over a board can even be therapeutic. Cleaning up shavings, however, is not exactly fun. The curly … Continue reading The Incineration Plane
When I was breaking down yellow birch for the last production of moulding planes for Time Warp Tool Works, I ended up with one block about 3 inches square and 10 inches long, with a partial live edge along one surface. It was too small to use as a moulding plane and it seemed to … Continue reading Live-Edge Birch Smoothing Plane
One of the most common questions I am asked is how I flatten the large pieces of wood I often use in my work. This table top, for example, is approximately 45 inches wide and 96 inches long. Machinery is Not the Answer Perhaps one of the quickest ways to surface a board is to … Continue reading Flattening Big Pieces of Wood
This table is for sale and has just been added to my Gallery. It is one piece which almost never happened. An Odd Start, If You Could Even Call it a Start A few years ago, my wood guy, Dave Kilpatrick, stopped by unexpectedly. From his trailer, he unloaded a live-edged slab of maple roughly … Continue reading Some Ideas Require Great Patience and an Open Mind
One of the questions I am frequently asked is how I achieve such smooth, even surfaces. Planing and sanding are two methods of removing material and smoothing surfaces. Each technique is completely valid and has its advantages and disadvantages. When deciding which to use, consider the following. Plane when: you want to achieve a flat … Continue reading Sanding vs. Planing
Of all the bench planes (bevel-down) I have acquired, the Veritas ones have been by far the easiest to adjust and for that, I love them. Blade adjustments have always been responsive and predictable; I could set the mouth to let through only a sliver of light quicker than you can read the upcoming quote, … Continue reading New Grips for My Veritas #5-1/4 Bench Plane
In Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3 I began working on an exploded shelf I'm calling Deconstructed. I finished the last session by pouring clear resin around the wood parts set in a mould made of waxed melamine. Tuesday, I unmoulded the casting. If everything had gone perfectly, all that would have been required would have … Continue reading Deconstructed, Session 4
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 