More than 10 years ago Popular Mechanics published a very informative article on making a small wooden handplane which I’m very fond of.
I haven’t built mine but I keep revisiting this article over and over again: Hand Made Hand Plane. Continue reading this post…
In case you haven’t noticed, Christopher Schwarz is now writing a new blog at Lost Art Press, his new publishing company which is devoted to help the modern woodworker learn traditional hand-tool skills.
Besides Chris’ usual essays on workbench design, there is an excellent series on handplaning which focuses on different techniques (seven at the time of writing) to reduce tear-out. Continue reading this post…
Card scrapers can be a very useful tool to handle wild grain, but tuning them properly can be a daunting task even for the experienced woodworker. If you turn a very long burr it will break easily but if the burr is too short will will only produce dust.
A properly sharpened scraper attacking the wood at the right angle will produce thin curly shavings and will yield a perfectly smooth surface even on difficult woods like curly maple. Continue reading this post…
A common question from many beginner woodworkers is what tools they should buy first so they can get started. What are the essential tools in everyone’s toolbox? But the answer is not that straightforward.
Every woodworker will have a different approach to the craft and will develop a preference for some tools as he or she gets more experienced. For instance, I prefer to work with a folding rule instead of a tape measure. Some will prefer western saws over Japanese ones, and so on… Continue reading this post…
