Yesterday I made my first hand cut dovetails. I've watched Richard cut dovetail joints over and over, and I've practiced cutting to my saw lines over even more. But I knew if I was left on my own, with just a few pointers, then I would still be about to make a mess of...
Craftspeople don't go in to their work with the anticipation to earn lots of money. Making things tends to come without the desirable salary of other professions, and if it's yourself you're working for then there'll be no so called 'ladder' to climb or the perks and...
Spider-Man Senses Learning to woodwork with hand tools brings you a whole new awareness of your own senses. I feel like I'm a fairly co-ordinated person, used to doing tasks which require good control over your hands. But whenever I learn something new in woodworking...
How wide is too wide when it comes to mouths on wooden planes? When looking out for a used one this could be one of your key areas of concern, but that worry might only be justified towards the finer end of the spectrum, and even then it's a quick and easy fix. A cap...
We all need sharp tools. Sharpening is an odd subject because if you can't do it, it seems mysterious. And if you can do it, some become so loyal to their method that they would fight to the death to defend it. Often trying no other method As you may know I have my...
What is a gnat's nadger? It's something very small. Smaller than a 1/64"? Smaller than I would care to measure. If you're getting any smaller then it's a gnat's cock hair. You may see this as being annoyingly vague, or perhaps it makes me sound a bit simple? I find...
My favourite plane until now has been a very cute and tiny wooden smoother. It was small enough for me to manage the restoration, nice in the hand and just sweet. Time seems to get the better of me so I'm still very much at that stage of enjoying making shavings...
I like using animal glue. It's perfect for the job but I have to admit can be a little faffy having to do all the alchemy thing. I've given the liquid hide glues a go, but even these, at least in my workshop need heating, taking almost as long as the pearls at bad...
The blog is growing fast, and some times things dictate to you where you've got to go next. The move of our workshop last year was somewhat forced and timed itself together with an offer of writing a book. We find ourselves in a workshop with a size and set up that is...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW4BWfC3cIA] UPDATE - The Full Build Is Now Available! CLICK for details. I've been making a few hand planes this week in preparation for an upcoming series we have planned all about getting in to wooden planes. I've...
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https://youtu.be/OhnIgJeZv08 Our Chair Building Series is now complete. The above video is to give a little insight in to what we've been up to and a look at our final chair design. The full series is available for a one time fee of £35.00 CLICK HERE TO BUY...
Fast, Efficient Sharpening. At the Best Price! You’ll find that the cost of your sharpening stones scales with the cost of your tools. More expensive stones won't mean they're better for the job if they're incompatible with the type of steel that you're using. If...
When people meet me they see the unkempt facial hair and questionable mop on the back of my head and they can weigh me up pretty well. Then I start to speak and it's confirmed - this is definitely a pretty rough chap. And I'm not one to try and mystify or tart it up,...