There's rarely anything fun about a woodworking injury, and yet when I make videos about using hand tools I don't feel the need to put up a big disclaimer about keeping safe. I don't feel irresponsible for a lack of this but it is certainly a subject worth writing about. Injuries from hand tools … [Read more...]
Out Lives It’s Favour
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, well made piece which could last … [Read more...]
Planing Wood By Hand – Rough Prepping
Thicknessing with hand planes might seem like a slog. It's certainly physical work, and if there's a lot of boards to thickness, then it could soon become a workout. But with the right technique, planing wood by hand should feel more like a nice brisk walk, than an uphill … [Read more...]
They All Bite!
I'm not one to talk about safety often because I don't like to come across as patronising. I noticed recently though just how many cheaply made machines have become available for 'DIY' and I thought I'd have a moan - I will try to keep this short and sweet! I'd seen 'table saws' for sale as low … [Read more...]
The Perfectionist In Me
If I was ever able to take a woodworking course I'd have to do it with David Charlesworth. That may seem like a bit of a shock given my rather simple and fast paced approach seen in my videos but the truth is I'm a perfectionist at heart. After my apprenticeship the leash was released and I was … [Read more...]
The Power Tool I Love
After establishing that I don't hate power tools I wanted to give an extra bit of praise to the one tool I feel I really wouldn't want to be without; the cordless drill. I still love my bit and brace and appreciate the control and feedback that it can give me, which I find essential in some cases. … [Read more...]
I Don’t Hate Power Tools
Despite being a die hard hand tool user there's nothing that irritates me more than hearing people try to class hand tool use as being superior. The reason I bring this up is because whilst taking a jimmy riddle at a recent show I heard "You're the chap who hates power tools?". I've been told … [Read more...]
Moving With The Times?
When I was younger I did a stint working on new builds, doing truss roofs with my old man. I learnt a lot through the process; things about wood, things about building, and more than I could hope to know about my Dad. Another thing which I learnt could only be appreciated on reflection... When I … [Read more...]
Tool Tales
"It's not bodge... it's character!" - an old geriatric work mate used to say to me. And I felt this come to mind as I built my tool chest last weekend. I knew it would be nothing fancy since it was pretty much built as the hand tool equivalent of banging some boards straight through the thicknesser … [Read more...]
Where To Sit The Bench?
It seems to be normal practice to sit a workbench against a wall and this is something I've often done myself. But having worked in many different layouts I now tend to favour bringing the workbench right out away from the wall instead. In a small workshop this can feel like a huge waste of space … [Read more...]