The Joy of Woodworking – Out On a Limb

By Andrew Zoellner, Editor Popular Woodworking, June 2018 Page 8 Earlier this year, I took the reins of Popular Woodworking. To be perfectly honest, it’s been a little nuts. How did I get here? The short story is that I’ve been a writer and editor in the DIY/woodworking/craft magazine world for the last decade. When the opportunity arose to help shape the future of a publication I’ve long admired, I […]

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My Blanket Chest

I’ve enjoyed it. It stands squat, firm and stout but looks elegant enough without being pretentious. The construction is robust and there are no biscuits, dowels or dominoes holding the whole together. Some things mark progress and some mark many other things. I enjoyed chopping every mortise, every plane and saw stroke and then rounding […]

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PopWood Playback #17: Leather Camp Chair, Float Frame & More!

We’re looking for an Art Director. We’re trying to find someone in Cincinnati, Ohio, before looking outside the tri-state area. Check out the listing here: http://bit.ly/2I4Iu9D 🎥 Anne of All Trades – DIY Leather Camp Chair: https://youtu.be/Smtv0ceYBHY 🎥 Jon Peters Art & Home – How to Make a Float Frame: https://youtu.be/lSU5darREwc 🎥 Andrew Klein – Push Stick: https://youtu.be/aP3ZQiE–lE 🎥 The Highland Woodworker: https://youtu.be/pB0y4uPBvQk 🎥 Popular Woodworking – I Can Do That: […]

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A New Lapping Plate From NanoHone – First Glance

Hap Stanley is an American inventor who created the Sharp Skate, a side riding honing guide that hold a blade at an angle to the stone, and then allows you to push it along the abrasion surface – but sideways – like a crab walking on the beach. I met Hap a few weeks ago in the Woodworking Show in NJ and had a chance to try his newest innovation […]

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Pinholes: A Fairly Uncommon Problem That Can be Difficult to Fix

I get a lot of questions about finish problems, and, as you can imagine, they are often difficult to diagnose simply from the description. In these situations, a picture can really be worth a thousand words. Take the example shown here. How would you describe it? The situation really happened, but the picture is mine. It’s a picture of a flaw called pinholes. These are tiny bubbles in the finish […]

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Episode 4: Marc Adams

  The Marc Adams School of Woodworking, located just outside of Indianapolis, IN. celebrates its 25th year. Popular Woodworking video producer David Thiel took the opportunity to sit down with founder Marc Adams to chat about his decision to open a woodworking school. Hear Marc’s eye-opening story on why he became a teacher, rather than running a commercial shop. The Afterlife of Trees is Popular Woodworking’s podcast for woodworkers, artists […]

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The Great Glue Test – Wood by Wright

Editor’s note: The following post is from James Wright of Wood By Wright on YouTube. He recently conducted a massive test of common wood glues and I asked him to share a few discoveries on the Popular Woodworking blog. Links at the bottom of the post are affiliate links that support James. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel that has his complete presentation of the results! – David […]

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Video: Folding the Folding Bookstand

The June 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine features an article I wrote about making a folding bookstand using scraps and copper rivets. It’s a design based on 18th-century pieces that were popular among British military officers. Several readers have requested a video that shows how the bookstand folds and unfolds. So here you go. Though the mechanism looks complicated, it’s not. If you have a drill press, this project […]

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Dust-Free Bandsaw – Tricks of the Trade

We recently had a reader, Michael Wygmans, submit their build of the Dust-free Bandsaw article from American Woodworker. This article first appeared in 2004 as a solution to the anemic dust collection on 14″ Delta bandsaws. Michael mentioned that he designed his adapter to be  1 7/8″ wide rather than 1 5/8″ described in the article. If you build something from Popular Woodworking or American Woodworker Magazine, let me know, we’ll share it with our blog readers! […]

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Which Man-made Boards to Use?

I’ve been enjoying making the second blanket chest and the challenges of the glue up. because of the struggles I came up with a more foolproof way for gluing up and aligning everything so that the glue up could be done as a two step process. This took off the pressure of a large, single […]

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Make a Marking Gauge for Curves

If you work with curves, you need a marking gauge that can deal with curves. Me, I make chairs. So I need a gauge that can follow the curve of a seat so I can delineate the lines for the scooped-out saddle, the spindles and the “gutter” – a shallow and decorative channel on traditional chairs. I also need a gauge such as this for marking out the armbow and […]

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How to Install Butt Hinges

Butt hinges were widely used for inset doors in early-20th-century furniture and built-ins. They are available in a variety of styles, types, and sizes to suit many different applications. In the English shops where I worked in the 1980s, we always used plain unswaged hinges; we knew them as solid-drawn brass butts. These have a fixed pin and are not adjustable (except by means of various old-timer tricks; I’ll reveal […]

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A New Garage Workshop and a Clean Sweep

A Clean and Clear Working Environment My new workshop’s ready. I’m moving in this week so I hope you’re excited for me. I’m going to blog more on my experience and especially keep you up on the added nuances that have made my shop work through the years. In my workshop easy-sweep is important to […]

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In Pursuit of the Hand Tool Tradition: Efficiency, Community, and Technique in Historic Furniture Making

Editor’s note: Andrew submitted this comprehensive analysis of the fourth issue of Mortise & Tenon magazine to us after a conversation on YouTube. He proposes several fascinating themes for this issue. Thanks Andrew! – David Lyell  In Pursuit of the Hand Tool Tradition: Efficiency, Community, and Technique in Historic Furniture Making By: Andrew Milacci, PhD This essay reviews the following work: Mortise and Tenon Magazine Issue 4. Edited by Klein, […]

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Season 4 of I Can Do That! With Andrew Zoellner & David Lyell

Welcome to season four of I Can Do That! Our first episode has just been pushed to YouTube and we are very happy to announce a few changes to the format. First, your new hosts for this season are Andrew Zoellner and David Lyell (me!) Chad Stanton is still producing content on his own channels, so you don’t have to say goodbye, but Andrew and I will host all of season […]

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Unfolding the Future

Putting my workbench into the garage may not seem like a big thing but it was. What you may not know is what’s now started happening beyond my sphere in the making of the video series. These pictures tell their own story, but I’ll add mine in between the pics.  My sons are all capable […]

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Moving In

My Journal Entry Wednesday 18 April 2018   Today was a good day to move the office from the dining/rest/meeting room area upstairs. The now new dedicated space seemed ready for everyone after a very long wait for the promise of premium working conditions. I am not yet allowed to move until the latest series […]

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Aerosols: They Can Substitute for a Spray Gun

After my last post (April 10) about wearing gloves when spraying with a spray gun, I thought it might be appropriate to discuss aerosols as a substitute for spray guns. There are two types of aerosols, each identifiable by its nozzle. The nozzle on most aerosols has a cylindrical-shaped actuator you push down to spray a cone-shaped pattern. The nozzle on some aerosols has a small button at the top […]

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School Continues to Grow after 25 Years

We recently had the opportunity to be guests at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking while making a video on Custom Cabinetry with Zane Powell (an instructor at the school). Our timing was carefully planned, if a bit fortuitous. The school was closed for classes, but putting the finishing touches on opening for the 2018 school year – and celebrating 25 years of education! There are some great additions awaiting […]

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A Bag Like No Other – Nantucket Bagg

In all honesty, woodworking shows are nice but very predictable. If you subscribe to a woodworking magazine, receive periodical catalogs from Lee Valley, Rockler, Woodcraft, and follow a blog or two, then you are most likely up to date with what’s new in our field. However, for me at least, a woodworking show’s most alluring commodity is the opportunity to test some hand tools and to look at the occasional […]

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Moxon Joinery Bench

My regular woodworking bench is at the perfect height for planing wood, but I wanted something a little bit higher for doing more detailed work such as carving or joinery.

The moxon vise is made with 3/4” acme threaded rod and the matching nuts, which I embedded behind the non-moving wood jaw. The handles are made of ebony that I cut, chiseled and rasped to shape. They’re epoxied to the steel rods. The vise can firmly hold boards up to 24 inches wide.

Most materials were salvaged from the dumpster. The laminated top and the frame material were 11 feet long pallet stretchers. I took the nails out and planned them flat. I think they are some kind of soft maple. The drawer fronts and the matching side boards were long laminated pieces of oak flooring which had been left on the curb. The frame was milk painted and everything was covered with natural tung oil.

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The Tools in the Bottom of my Tool Chest

The tools at the bottom of my chest are the heavy and expensive stuff – the planes and saws that get constantly used. At the back of the chest are my moulding planes. And the front wall of my chest has a tool rack that contains the stuff I need to grab without even looking at it. Let’s start with that rack. The Tool Rack From left to right: My […]

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Paul’s Garage Workshop? It’s built!

Yup! After an anxious few weeks and two years in the planning, I am very ready to take up occupation. I want you with me as I develop and build my creative workspace. The two cleaning specialists just left this evening following the builders handover and did a sterling job following four weeks of an […]

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Winners of the Ugly Tape Contest

May the worst tape win It did. A few weeks ago, the Popular Woodworking editors and I thought it would be fun to have a little contest for readers of this blog. Being a bit of an obsessive when it comes to quality tape measures and spending years searching for the best ones we thought it would be fun to see who had the absolute worst tape measure.  By that, […]

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Loving the Blue Spruce – Friday Live

Show notes in progress

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Finish Test Follow-up: A Surprise Ending

Three days after performing the finish experiment I wrote about in last week’s post, I was cleaning up the mudroom and had to move the samples. When I picked up the one finished with Osmo Polyx Oil, I was astonished to find that the stains from red wine and hot sauce had disappeared completely. I looked at the Cabot water-based poly and Minwax Helmsman spar varnish samples, which had also […]

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A Dovetailing Kit for Beginners

Last week I discussed the Zona Razor Saw and how it’s the ideal saw for beginning dovetailers. It’s just $12 to $15 and cuts extremely well. This saw got me thinking about what other inexpensive tools could fill out the kit for the beginner (or someone who is short on money). So here’s my best shot at this list. I’ve also included (at times) what I think is the next […]

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The Tools in the Third Till of my Tool Chest

The bottomost till in my chest carries the heavy stuff that isn’t on the floor of the chest, and stuff that doesn’t fit in the top two tills and has migrated downward. Three of my essential planes are here, as are some of my most important measuring equipment. When you keep most of your tools in one chest, little is non-essential material. Let’s begin on the left side of the […]

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Replace Sanding Disc – Tricks of the Trade

Following up on a promise from a previous trick, in this video, we take a look at how to replace the sandpaper on a disc sander. If “big deal” is running through your head, then you’ve never had to do this task. It’s harder than you think, and we’ll give you a couple of tips to make the process easier. For more PopWood Shop Tips, visit: http://bit.ly/Tricks_Playlist – David Thiel

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The Best Dovetail Saw for Beginners

I get asked all the time about which dovetail saw is best for a beginner. It’s a difficult question because saws now come in a crazy variety of prices and configurations, from Japanese dozukis to premium handmade Western saws to well-manufactured mid-range saws. So I usually duck the question and suggest the person try out the saws in our shop and decide for themselves (which is still good advice). This […]

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PopWood Playback #14

I pulled together five videos this week that I think you’re going to love. We kick it off with Third Coast Craftsman and his copper and barn wood sign. It looks incredible and I think you’ll appreciate the design as well. Next is Shawn Stone’s platform bed, it’s a straightforward design that is approachable by anyone. Handtool Rescue shares about their 200,000 subscriber milestone and an upcoming wrench sale. Wranglerstar is a […]

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Harmonising Upset

…George had one minute seemed fine and the next stormed out the double doors in an almighty thrust of energy fuelled by his anger saying nothing at all to anyone and yet by action saying everything. In three bounds he reached his truck and spun a donut before a tail spinner whipped his trail in […]

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2018 Home Depot PROspective

Editor’s note: This post was written by Rick LaFaver. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram and on the web as WoodWorkLIFE. He attended The Home Depot’s annual event for industry and influencers, PROspective. The following post reflects his experience at the event! – David Lyell This week, The Home Depot (THD) launched their annual PROspective. Those in attendance received an early look at what is coming from your favorite […]

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Protect Your Hands from Chisel Lands – Tricks of the Trade

Many new chisels, especially most premium-quality chisels, have sharp lands (the beveled side edges). Some people wear cotton gloves to protect their hands when using these, but I don’t like the loss of feel and sensitivity with gloves. So I came up with a simple solution to avoid getting cut by these edges. I cut off the tip of a rubber finger pad (sold at office supply stores to guard […]

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Depression, Anxiety?

Switching off and switching on to issues like these is not always a matter of choice, in fact it rarely is. As societal demands increase and the digital world invades our privacy on levels we seem less and less able to keep control of, there can be no doubt that we live in higher levels […]

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Not A Life-Hack: The Importance of Geometry for Woodworkers with Chad Stanton

On the surface, basic geometry skills can seem like magic or just a cool trick. We sat down with Chad Stanton to learn why geometry is a crucial skill for woodworkers and not just another “life-hack.” With the advent of new technology like SketchUp, it’s no longer necessary for woodworkers to look to their compasses or squares to solve problems as they work. Even seasoned professionals rely on software and […]

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This Mystifies Me Every Time I See It – Wearing Gloves While Finishing

I’ll probably get pushback on this, but here goes anyway. I’d love to hear your objections. Look at the above picture. What seems odd to you? It’s not something small. It’s jumping right off the screen. The spraying technique is entirely correct, especially with the opposite hand holding the hose out of the way. Not doing this is the most common mistake I see when teaching a class. The student […]

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A Tip for Sharpening Marking Knives

In my classes, we use marking/carving knives quite a lot. We score lines in preparation for making a “knife-wall”, we use them to whittle animals, to cut paper veneer and more. Our knives are shaped in the traditional European pattern with a wide bolster at the meeting point of the blade and the handle. To sharpen a knife I use DMT diamond stones.  Typically, I begin with a fine stone […]

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Keep the Hot Sauce Off the Table – Testing Finish

As a maker of custom furniture and cabinetry, I use a variety of finishes. Some pieces need minimal protection – perhaps sealed with shellac and a coat of buffed wax, or finished with a blend of boiled linseed oil and polyurethane. Sometimes I brush oil-based poly onto horizontal surfaces that are going to get a lot of household wear; sometimes I use Osmo because an ultra-low sheen is what my […]

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We’re Hiring! PopWood Playback #14

Join the Popular Woodworking team! We’re looking for a Senior Editor, read the description here: http://bit.ly/2q7FIIY Check out Mortise and Tenon Magazine, Issue 4: http://bit.ly/2q7gXfV Congrats to Billy R. on winning the carving knife kit!  🎥 Kyle Toth – Maple Cabinet with TV: https://youtu.be/CUgqcZ3GmDw 🎥 Shaun Boyd – Modern Plywood Desk:  https://youtu.be/MRh4U9zEqnk 🎥 Mortise and Tenon Magazine: https://youtu.be/9A1KiyKj0lI 🎥 Wm. Walker Co. – Zero Clearance Insert:  https://youtu.be/wqtEyQ9qLHA 🎥 Rockler – Stripped […]

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Progressive Woodworking or Channel Hijack?

We created another update to keep you in the loop. There has been a lot going on here at the new building but we are so close now.

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Closing the Shop Doors

No matter where my workshop has been, grandiose castles and my own homestead workshops by my homes in Texas from the 80s through and well into the new millennia, there are few things that compare with putting out the shop lights, taking a last look inside, and catching a silhouetted glimpse as the last light […]

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