Fundamentals of Hand Tool Joinery lived up to high expectations Yesterday, I taught my third seminar of the month at Lee Valley Tools Coquitlam - Fundamentals of Hand Tool Joinery. Like the previous two (Jigs for the Bandsaw and Jigs for the Table Saw), this one was also sold out completely. We started with some … Continue reading September Seminar Summary
Being able to cut a dovetail joint using only hand tools has become recognized as a level of achievement. But there are other reasons to learn how to cut joinery by hand besides proving yourself and, for me, the biggest reason is being able to deal with unique situations. The joint below on the left … Continue reading Why I Value the Ability to Cut Joints By Hand
Today is the first day of September. For many, that means school is starting soon; for me, that means a new season of seminars is here. In the fall season of seminars (September to November), I am leading six seminars at the Coquitlam Lee Valley store. Things get going quickly for me, as I'm scheduled … Continue reading Fall Season of Seminars at Lee Valley
The Skills Canada Competition is the première event where students and apprentices compete in over 40 trade and technology fields, including carpentry and cabinetmaking (also welding, masonry, landscaping, hairstyling, cooking, website development graphic design, computer animation and robotics). The national event brings the best of over 500 students from regions across the country. It's a really … Continue reading Skills Canada National Competition Comes to Vancouver!
Below is my initial drawing for #Woodchat's inaugural Telephone Game Design Experiment. The idea is to start with a design drawn by one person (me). Then, another person takes my design and redraws it their way, incorporating any changes they wish to make. Next, a third person takes the second drawing and redraws it their way. … Continue reading #Woodchat’s Telephone Game Design Experiment
I will be a part of Port Moody's Celebration of Wood Woodfair on July 20, 2013. I am really looking forward to this event. More details to come.
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
This is the Veritas Scraping Plane Insert, installed in my favourite bench plane. I bought it years ago to use in my #4 bench plane and used it a few times, but over time I found it simpler and easier to use a cabinet scraper or card scraper. I haven't used the insert in … Continue reading Overflow, Part XIII
I kept this Drill Press Stand with the idea that it would help me accurately bore 3/4" holes for bench dogs. Then, when I set out to drill them I realized that the drill only has 2 amps and that my larger drill could not be properly installed in the stand. That meant that I … Continue reading Overflow, Part XII
What is Overflow? A year-and-a-half ago, I started my Overflow program to give away woodworking stuff I no longer used to followers of my blog. It was going strong for a while and I gave away a lot of good stuff including a: Ridgid Air Filter; Veritas Scraper Holder; Makita 1/3 Sheet Sander; Lee Valley Dovetail … Continue reading Overflow is Back, Again!
