For some reason, I have never experimented with finger joints. But recently, while playing with the dovetail saws at one of the woodworking shows, I found myself addicted to cutting them. Here's one of the better joints I cut: While quite time consuming to cut by hand, they are relatively quick to do by machine … Continue reading Finger Joints
Wood shavings are cool. They are fun to make. They are fun to play with. That is part of why I enjoy working with handplanes so much. It's not just because of the beautiful, polished surface they leave behind. It's because of the fashion in which they remove wood. I've found that different types of … Continue reading Shavings are Fun!
I love modern art. More precisely, I love making modern art. Even more precisely, I love making a mockery of modern art. This weekend, I am in Portland, Oregon working the Portland Woodworking Show for Lee Valley Tools. Popular demos included sharpening, hand planes, and the new dovetail saws. I started out this morning playing … Continue reading Modern Art
Recently, a friend approached me and enthusiastically pitched his case to me. Gerald has a massive solid oak dining table with three table leaves. His family often reconfigures the size of the table so of course want to have the leaves convenient. In their previous house, there was a little nook just the right size … Continue reading Gerald’s Table Leaf Storage Unit
Four same-sized off-cuts of Pacific yew just begged to be shown off. The amazing colour. The grain. Each piece was thin, long and narrow, restricting my options of what it could be used for. I have always found decorative boxes fascinating and there are really no rules when building one. Four pieces of spectacular wood … Continue reading All About Yew
I wrote this after cutting myself on a plane blade that jumped out of a wooden plane due to a poorly set wedge (my fault). Only a minor injury requiring no more than a band-aid to remedy.With the planes I played My love never swayed 'Til I took the pass That was my last For … Continue reading Inspired (Woodworking) Poetry
Today was a beautiful day - warm and sunny. I went to work and, four hours later when I finished, my left side was completely soaked, my right side was dry, and I was standing two inches taller. What was I doing? Do you need a hint? If not, I know that you have done … Continue reading A Riddle
For years, my friend and lumber hook-up Dave has been using a hastily-designed rack for his chainsaw chains. Made of Pacific yew, it is sturdy enough and looks very nice with beautiful colouring and two live edges. However, it doesn't stand up on it's own and doesn't fare much better when propped up against something, … Continue reading Dave’s Chain Rack
I just finished and delivered this demilune table (demilune means half-moon). It is made of Pacific yew and was custom-made to fit against a short wall has a strategically placed shelf above a cold air return duct and below the power outlet and phone jack. The most challenging part in the construction was making the … Continue reading Demilune Table
A few years ago, I built a small treasure chest out of oak and forged the strap hardware for it as well as the handles. It is still one of my favourite projects and I have longed to make another, of larger scale. Two weeks ago, I got word that Peter Turner was working on … Continue reading Treasure Chest
