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
Good Tools Work for You, Not Against You
Nearly every tool is designed with compromises. In some cases, the compromise is made to increase the ease of production (and therefore lower cost). Other times, the compromise is made to make the tool more appealing to a broader audience. After using a tool for a while, these compromises become very clear. You'll think, "I … Continue reading Good Tools Work for You, Not Against You
Mounting Shelves and Pictures on Walls
Since moving into our new house last year, I have hung dozens of pictures and shelves. Okay, maybe not dozens, but very likely a dozen. Every time, the challenges are the same: what is the best location, where are the studs, and is it level? While not immediately obvious, we always do reach a consensus … Continue reading Mounting Shelves and Pictures on Walls
Simpler Edge Joints
Quite often, I need a wider board than what I have available. Usually, that means gluing up two or more boards edge to edge. Since, in this situation, I am usually making a highly visible part such as a table top or cabinet side, I am very careful to match not only the grain pattern … Continue reading Simpler Edge Joints
One-Step Joinery
No matter how much time I have, there never seems to be enough. For that reason, I make many of my decisions based on efficiency. My decision to use a hand tool or a power tool for a given task is dependent on what I feel is more efficient for the task at hand. In my effort to … Continue reading One-Step Joinery
How to Make Furniture that Sells
When I had the chance to make a living as a furniture maker, it was a dream come true. However, I soon realized that my chosen path was a very difficult one and found that I needed to adapt my designs to appeal to consumers. In this video, I share some of my best tips for making … Continue reading How to Make Furniture that Sells
Magic Square Changed How I Work
Tolerances and precision in woodworking have been two ideas that I've been contemplating for a long time (see A Box Called "Tolerences" and A Box Called "Necessessity"). That was why Magic Square captured my attention. This video outlines the benefits of Magic Square (duration - 4:24). This is the seventeenth slide from my PechaKucha presentation.
Overflow, Part VIII
You know that I, Chris Wong, make woodwork with much flair at Flair Woodworks. However, you may not know that I also make fine woodworking tools at Time Warp Tool Works (read more about my role at Time Warp Tool Works). It is a well-known fact that quartersawn material (where growth rings run vertically along the end grain) is … Continue reading Overflow, Part VIII
Every Workshop Needs a Br’all
This post is part of Get Woodworking Week, an initiative started by Tom Iovino of Tom's Workbench, to build interest and participation in woodworking. I know that every one of my readers except for Paul-Marcel, for whom I made the first one, is scratching their head wondering what the heck a Br'all is, what it does, … Continue reading Every Workshop Needs a Br’all
How to Flatten a Board (You Don’t Need a Jointer)
Note: Before you get into the article, check the date on which it was published. This other article discusses how I flatten large pieces of wood without machinery. If you read just one article about woodworking, this should be it. On the forums I frequent, I often see the question asked: "should I buy a … Continue reading How to Flatten a Board (You Don’t Need a Jointer)
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 