With their elegant lines, angles and smooth curves some chairs look wonderful in a room simply as a piece a sculpture. This isn't one of those chairs. This one is square and very plain, but then that's what attracted me to it. When I first caught sight of it in a...
Richard Maguire
Left Handed Woodworking
After completing a Little John bench with a left handed set up I was struck by how odd it still appeared to me despite trying to get accustomed to it throughout the build. It made me realise that although we offer to customise our workbenches in this way, I've only...
Smoother Restoration
Wooden planes can be quick and easy to restore compared with metal ones, as material can be removed quickly with sand paper and chisels, unlike the relatively slow material removal when working with metal. By the same nature though, wooden hand planes can often be...
Around The Corner
Due to disturbances there have been several things that we've worked on and mentioned that were left half done. Now that we're settled in to our new workshop we're both feeling reinvigorated and very much excited about picking things back up, finishing them off, and...
The Three Stooges
I love a good chair. You really can't over estimate the need for your own little resting spot; a place to take the weight off, enjoy a good meal, or even detach you from a drab space while you become engrossed in something much more interesting. A chair should be...
An Unplugged Life
I'm a great fan of the work of Tom Fidgen over on his Unplugged Woodshop blog, particularly because he promotes such enthusiasm for hand tools and combines it with his great talent for design. His work is above all else inspirational and allows us to remember that the...
Out Of The Woods
So I'm back from the dead... Helen made a good attempt but just didn't bury me deep enough. Over the last few months we've experienced some difficulties that I won't ramble on about yet, but I will say that after a terrible old journey we're now out of the woods and...
Tool Haul
All I'm missing now are a few chisels, apparently. I had expected Richard to find me a little saw, and perhaps a plane to show willing. But between conversations at Mr Arnold's recent charity sale, he filtered through boxes and tables and kept adding to his stash. By...
Grab A Bargain
Our Offering to Richard Arnold's charity sale, was a box full of wooden screws. Each had found itself in our seconds pile over the last year or so, and had some minor defect, though most were difficult to spot even on close inspection. They all worked perfectly but...
Stepping Up
I promised myself this year, I would find time to learn how to make things from wood. It's been hectic, but I've managed to get myself addicted to picking up Richard's tools and making a few shavings and saw cuts. The only thing I have successfully made so far is a...
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