[Video Post] The router plane is one of those rare tools that seems to always be in my hand despite not really being an essential in my minimal tool kit.In doesn't quite have the versatility of a chisel which can pretty much come in for anything. But when it does suit a job it offers precision … [Read more...]
Squaring Up Drilled Out Mortices
Morticing has never been my favourite job. Depending on the size of joint I have various techniques that I use, and for hefty mortices like in our French workbench build, I prefer to drill out the waste rather than go at the whole thing with a chisel. But then I hate squaring up drilled out … [Read more...]
Matching Drill Bits & Dowel Plates
Getting a nice looking pegged joint is all about compression. You basically want the peg to be a bit too tight for the hole so it cleans up without any gaps. But, that's not to say you can just whack a fat bit of dowel through a hole that's too small and expect a good job (although … [Read more...]
How To Sharpen Thick O1 Irons On Oil Stones
You can sharpen owt on the humble old oil stone, but that doesn't mean that you’d want to. In our sharpening trilogy, I go on quite a bit about how your choice of tool will tell you what kind of sharpening method and set up you'll need. I’m very firm on how effective oil stones are, … [Read more...]
The Novelty Of Hand Cranked Grinders
Are hand cranked grinders the toy that we all want to work? Now honestly, I've never had any success with them. I can't make much sense of them as a sharpening tool at all, so perhaps I've never given them a fair trial. I avoid grinders altogether until it comes to that horrible … [Read more...]
Flattening A Big Old Board – The Start Of A Build
Today we've made a start on our Coffee Table build - if you've joined us already then you can Login Here to watch Chapter One. Or find more details HERE I set about this build without a clear direction on what the table would become. I’d had this rough old waney edged oak board … [Read more...]
Second Hand Jointers – Hand Plane Buying Tips
I’m always going on about how much I love a minimal tool kit, but in this post I’m going to rant on a bit, and give you a few pointers if you feel limited by the length of your hand plane. A Number 5, or Jack plane, will comfortably see you through most jobs, but as you get more experienced or … [Read more...]
The Fix For An Out Of Square Mortice & Tenon – VIDEO
References: Build A Hall Table Video Series | SIGN UP to watch the Free Hand Plane Build [Watch the video version above]. If you're cutting a mortice and tenon by hand then it's likely things aren't going to be perfect at the first fitting. If I'm building quickly and I can get away … [Read more...]
Tidy Both Sides – The Pegged Mortice and Tenon
I don't hate much, but I do hate a scruffy looking pegged joint. You know, when the peg doesn't fill the hole. When you've only got the show face to get tidy, it isn't too troublesome, particularly if you follow a few procedures. Where things start to get a bit testing though, is when both sides … [Read more...]
The Scientific Maths Of Sharpening
You’ll find that the cost of your sharpening stones scales with the cost of your tools. More expensive isn’t going to mean better if your stones aren’t compatible with the type of steel you use. If you’re using the types of tools that I recommend, things like the older Stanley’s and low cost … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 7
- Next Page »