Friends:
You might remember the article I recently wrote on the New Woodwork Economy and the challenges facing woodworkers in the next few years. That article got such a huge response that I adapted it into...
2022-03-05 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Our chat with the mighty Konrad Sauer went even better than I had hoped. Konrad shared details, ideas, and artistic inspiration that we couldn't have gotten anywhere else. Our talk ranged far beyond the world of planes and it was incredibly fun.
Hope you enjoy thi...
2022-02-25 13:42:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week, a little change of pace. Here's the story of my collaboration with the channel How to Make Everything and how it all went wrong. It's a funny story with a happy ending and I got to make something cool and share it with all of you.
Hope you enjoy the pro...
2022-02-19 12:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I’m delighted to announce our guest for the next Workbench Session will be Konrad Sauer, owner and builder at Sauer and Steiner Handplanes. I’ve included a bunch of details in the announcement video and there's also a 2022-02-18 17:31:28 +0000 UTC View Post
When I started woodworking a dozen years ago, everyone knew how to get started. Buy a few old Stanley planes and fix them up. No money for sharpening stones? Grab some sandpaper and get those blades “scary sharp.” Chisels and saws were the same; buy used, restore, get working. If you had to b...
2022-02-14 13:25:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I get a lot of questions about vises. My answer used to be simple: "buy vintage or forget it." Back when I started, all the affordable vises were just garbage. Thankfully, that's no longer true and you can now buy a very respectable vise for well under $100.
But w...
2022-02-12 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's a new month and we've got a bunch of great videos for you. First up, let's get back to our introduction to woodturning.
I'm still not totally sure about this little Wen lathe I bought last year. It's affordable, but is it really good enough f...
2022-02-05 12:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We're back to our normal schedule, which makes this a "week off" (actually a week of web- maintenance and looking for Home Depot receipts, but whatever).
We're not going to leave the Patron hanging! We've got 3 little nuggets of goodness. If you remember the...
2022-01-29 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Last night, we had the honor of hosting Nancy Hiller. Nancy gave a fascinating presentation on the design challenges of making custom furniture and kitchens in historic homes. She showed remarkable creativity, perseverance, and historical awareness.
I hope you enj...
2022-01-28 13:28:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
A few weeks ago, someone sent me a video of a dentist building my English Joiner’s Bench. I thought it was worth a look, but the video was far more than that. It was CAPTIVATING. The fellow in the video had almost no experience with tools or making things. He didn’t even know h...
2022-01-22 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Our next guest in the Workbench Sessions will be the multi-talented Nancy Hiller. She’s a professional furniture maker, cabinet-maker, kitchen remodeler, teacher AND an author with multiple books. She has also written numerous articles and been interviewed many times.
Here'...
2022-01-21 21:04:52 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
After a much-needed break, we’re back! We’ve taken a little time rest AND we’ve already stared on a fresh batch of videos. This week, a Patron exclusive video inspired by discussions on the Discourse Forum.
Next week, we’ll return with the next installment in our Intr...
2022-01-15 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Here's the archived post of Peter Follansbee's appearance on the Workbench Sessions. As expected, Peter brought a wealth of experience and a surprisingly wry wit to the whole affair. He was a treat to talk to.
Thanks to all of you who made this possible.
... 2021-12-24 18:26:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today, I'm releasing the Revised Edition of my first book. We fixed a few errors, updated some technical information, re-drew a few digital images, an...
2021-12-22 14:19:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I’m delighted to announce our final Workbench Session of 2021. On December 23rd at 2:00 PM EST, we will have the pleasure of hosting Mr. Peter Follansbee!
If you watch my videos, you know Peter is a huge inspiration for the work I do. He uses green wood and fairly basic too...
2021-12-19 12:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
To wrap up 2021, we’re going in a totally different direction. Many of you turn and many of you would like to learn woodturning, so let’s do it!
I’ve purchased an inexpensive import lathe and today’s video shows me getting it out, setting it up, learning the accessori...
2021-12-18 12:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
After nearly 5 months of work, the Quick-Stack Workbench is ready for the spotlight!
Attached to this post, you'll find the plans, which are FREE to Patrons. (These plans represent a massive investment in time and money for us, so please don't share them outside the com...
2021-12-14 12:25:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It took us almost 5 months, but the Quick-Stack Workbench is finally ready! You asked for a real, knock-down bench that was also beginner-friendly and affordable and we listened. We've created an approachable, inexpensive design that costs LESS than $300, includ...
2021-12-11 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
The plans are done early this week, so I wanted to get them up right away. The book jack is just a board with a few saw cuts and a little batten, but it's so useful. Make one for someone in your life!
These are up on the 2021-12-07 19:46:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This time of year we all need holiday gifts. I usually make a lot of presents for friends and family, but I'm bad at planning and I often leave things to the last minute. If you're like me, you might need some quick, inexpensive gifts you can make yourself.
I've c...
2021-12-04 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I hope everyone is recovering from their post-holiday stupor! I admit that my wife and I were disgruntled at the alarm this morning. After just 4 days of sleeping in, we had gotten used to the extra sleep.
Regardless, the work goes on.
A few weeks ago,...
2021-11-29 16:15:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I have a bunch of exciting updates and fun surprises coming before the end of the year and I've made a video to give you an exclusive first look at some of the things that are on the way.
December is going to be a big month around here.
Happy Thanksgiv...
2021-11-20 12:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I love it when a guest brings new skills to the table and Anne did not disappoint. She delivered an in-depth talk on greenwood spoon carving with special attention to tool selection and preparing wood.
If that weren't enough, she finished it off by bringing a ...
2021-11-19 14:04:24 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We've been hard at work updating all our classic plans and bringing them into the modern age with a full redesign in Fusion 360. Today, I'm delighted to bring you TWO updated plans. They both have cleaner graphics, bolder lines and bigger numbers, so they look better and they...
2021-11-17 13:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I’m delighted to announce Anne Briggs (Anne of All Trades on YouTube) will be the next guest for the Workbench Sessions. Anne will give an in-depth presentation on spoon-carving and answer YOUR ques...
2021-11-16 18:35:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I promised it and now I'm delivering!
In my last Furniture Forensics, I showed a drop-leaf table with an ingenious wooden hinge built in. I've never seen anything like it before and I just had to make my own and see how it worked.
Let me tell you, it was an ...
2021-11-13 12:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week, I was able to borrow a very unusual 19thCentury table. It’s a fantastic drop-leaf with an incredible hidden sliding mechanism that lets it expand to nearly 10 feet long!
On top of all that, it’s also a brilliant example of industrialization creeping into hand-m...
2021-11-06 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's my week off (well, week of paperwork, but you get the idea).
I know everyone likes their little hit of woodwork goodness for the weekend, so here's an exclusive look ahead at next week's video. I'll be doing a Furniture Forensics on this expanding dining tabl...
2021-10-30 11:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It was much hyped and highly anticipated, but our time with Roy Underhill didn't disappoint! Roy was generous, knowledgeable, precise, and funny as all heck. We got a healthy dose of personal history, a tour of woodworking knowledge, and some advice that new woodworkers...
2021-10-28 23:13:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I'm happy to present another in our line of updated plans. My designer Nate D. has totally re-drafted these classic plans in Fusion 360 and we've updated them and fixed a few small errors. I think they're great, but I'll let you be the judge.
Of course, these are ...
2021-10-25 18:43:27 +0000 UTC View Post