Last month i mentioned that I was in the process of finishing a small desk, and while it is not complete, it has been an excellent learning experience.
To make things more challenging the desk is made of black walnut (legs, aprons, rails and stretchers) and cherry for the top, two species that reacted quite differently to the finishes I chose. Continue reading this post…
When working with wood, most projects start by getting all the lumber flat and square, even if in the end the piece will have some curves or other compound shapes. Starting with four square stock is the first step to accurate joinery and makes it easier to draw other shapes since you can reference all the measurements from the straight edges.
After the joinery is cut and maybe you dry fitted everything so you won’t have any surprises in the end, it’s time to start shaping the piece to its final form. Continue reading this post…
Handplanes are often associated with a high level of craftsmanship, smooth surfaces and beautiful curly shavings.
Choosing the first handplane may not be an easy task, there are many models to choose from and while each one has it’s funcion, some of them are quite versatile and can be used for various tasks. Continue reading this post…
Choosing a set of chisels may be a fairly simple affair…. they even come in sets! But which one set should you get? I’d say none!
If you are on a budget, a set of three bevel edge chisels (1/4″, 1/2″ and 3/4″) will get most of the job done. It’s nice to have a few more sizes, but I’d rather have only these three and have quality chisels than have all the sizes available from 1/8″ to 2″ of lower quality steel. Continue reading this post…
