We have gotten over many difficulties this year but are still facing a small battle trying to get our internet connection at the new workshop. We've a kind neighbour who has allowed us to sneak access now and then, but as the weather turns ever more dreary the...
As woodworkers I'm sure that we all see furniture purchasing in a different light to most. There's nothing that makes sense less than knowing that people are happy to spend on a rickety flat pack which won't last two minutes, but can't justify spending for a solid,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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I truly believe that most people quit woodworking because they don't ever get started. Obsessing over the perfect workbench and buying too many used hand tools can lead to this problem. You should dedicate a weekend to build your workbench. Get it done and stop over...
As noises go, there's nothing much worse than banging. About the only thing that's completed in my life at the moment is my workshop door. I spent far too much money to get it right. We focused on the acoustics to keep out the noisy world when filming, and put in some...
To become efficient in anything I find it's much better to specialise rather than use one size fits all. So how can a minimal hand tool kit become anything other than a set up for getting you started? The answer is in understanding your cutting edge. We can use...