There’s nothing like a charming character to warm up a long and dreary winter and fortunately we’ve had our Little John to help keep things moving for us this February. The first batch of our smallest workbench began as planned and it’s brought a whole different feel...
Everything we build is inspired to some extent by what we see, and generally this will be either from nature or from history. Recreating old furniture is common place and often we’ll only aim for a likeness to a particular style without being too concerned about...
After giving a few thoughts about my tool storage last week I thought it would be interesting to have a look at some of your own solutions. I’ve had some great ideas sent though already and if you have something that you feel is a bit different then please keep them...
Wooden Hand Planes Might Be Old Tech, But They're Not Outdated I think for many people wooden planes bring nostalgia and a nice sense of tradition but don’t necessarily seem relevant to use today. We get used to a very different tool with metal planes, especially with...
I received an email this morning asking if I feel it’s a good idea to use a toothing plane on a bench top. I was slightly unsure of the intent at first but soon realised that this was a question of roughing up your bench top to increase the friction. Yes absolutely, I...
The recent horsemeat scandal took the UK by surprise with consumers disgraced by the idea that their beef isn’t what it says it is. Red meat lovers around the country are sticking with chicken ‘just in case’. I find the idea of false labelling disgusting but I didn’t...
I’ve never been fond of working out of a box, even if it’s a well organized one. Instead my hand tools are stored on the walls around me in a fairly simple but functional layout that keeps everything to hand. I find a tool box is excellent for storing, keeping your...
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my preferences when it comes to the shape of a bench dog and now I’m going to elaborate a little and cover some points about the choice of material. I’d thought about comparing the options with a list of pros and cons but then...
The European Woodworking Show is a great place to meet up with some real craftsmen; people who’s crafts genuinely become a part of who they are. Another highlight for me last year was meeting with Willy Rackham, an archery enthusiast and expert at fletching and making...
Our wagon vice has been undergoing a bit of a make over and today I’d like to share the first photo of the prototype. The handle, its most recognisable feature remains the same. I’ve always loved it’s balance and size and certainly didn’t want to loose any of it’s...
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Dear Helen, I know I'm difficult to work with, and my idea of business is not that of the rest of the world. But if you could listen I'd be most grateful. This evening I watched a car park pretty much on top of a restaurant, so they didn't have to walk far. A lady got...
Cutting joint after joint isn't the best way to learn. At least not in my opinion. After a lovely sunny, Sunday afternoon, all you've got to show is twenty-odd, randomly dovetailed corners. Some neat, some shite, some alright. You'll sit and think about these...
A Glue That Slides I get asked a fair old bit, why do you use liquid hide glue? People often follow up; so that it doesn't feel like their asking a daft question, by answering it themselves. Normally the most obvious answer is "so it'll be easy to restore later on"....