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
As most hand-tool woodworking trends get their start these days, I think leg vises gained popularity when Chris Schwarz installed one on his bench which was featured on the cover of his 2007 book, Workbenches: from Design & Theory to Construction & Use. It seems like every woodworker out there is building a bench and many … Continue reading Leg Vises – What’s the Big Deal?
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 9 – Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL)
Last week, I built a tall workbench and made a wooden Moxon vise for it. This piece of wormy maple seemed perfect for the front jaw so I squared off the ends. I elongated the holes in the front jaw to allow it to skew to hold uneven workpieces. This was the most that the jaw could … Continue reading My Moxon Vise with Flair
This bench was inspired after the Joinery Bench that Shannon Rogers brought to Woodworking in America. It was intended to simply be a taller workbench and I honestly did not know how useful I would find it (ask me in half a year). This small bench was built taller than normal (39.5") to allow joinery … Continue reading My Tall Workbench with Flair
Well, it's been two months since my last posting. And the bench has come a long way, though there's still a long way to go. I ended up having the Douglas fir resawn in half. Many thanks to my friend and fellow woodworker Doug Ward. I've now laminated the bench top and flattened it. I … Continue reading Progress on The Workbench
Well, it's been a while since I've posted here. I've been so awfully busy lately. I can't even count how many projects I have on the go. And most of them are for clients. But one is for me and only me. I need a new workbench and have been dreaming of one for years. … Continue reading No Holds Workbench
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 