Category Archives: Build-Alongs
Breadboard Ends on a Stove Cover
When a friend asks me to make her a stove cover, I decide it’s a great time to learn a whole new woodworking technique. Continue reading
Building the Mule Chest
Most of the time my projects begin because I have a problem I need to solve, and sometimes they begin with me reading a book. This time it was both. The book I’ve been reading is The Anarchist’s Design Book … Continue reading
Sloyd Knife Sheaths
I really like my Morakniv sloyd knives, which I use for spoon carving. They take a very good edge, they are reasonably priced, and they are still made in Sweden by people who know what good tool steel is. Recently … Continue reading
One Last Bedstead
When my youngest child–my only son, R.–finally outgrew our old toddler bed (which I had originally built for his older sister, and which had then been passed down through the siblings to him, and which I eventually gave away to … Continue reading
How to Build Carpenter Bee Traps (That Look Nice)
Down here on the Gulf Coast, we have a lot of insect problems–mosquitoes, termites, fire ants, you name it. Another common pest here is the carpenter bee, which is not at all aggressive, and a good pollinator to boot. But carpenter … Continue reading
Building A Frame-and-Panel Interior Door
If I had a backup career in woodworking, it would be making doors and windows for historic homes. It’s not that I especially enjoy making such objects more than others. (I’ve never even made a window sash.) It’s that it’s … Continue reading
Build A Simple, Wooden Storage Crate in an Hour
One of the tests of a competent woodworker is the ability to make a simple, sturdy box to order. Just this afternoon, my wife was cleaning and reorganizing, and she asked me to make her a crates to help her … Continue reading
Fairy Furniture You Can Make on Your Front Steps
After a big tropical storm made a mess of my daughter K’s fairy garden, she decided to do some remodeling. First on her list was new fairy furniture, so we thought up some simple designs for a table and chairs. … Continue reading
How to Make a Tobacco Pipe with Hand Tools, Part 4: Stem-Bending, Staining, and Finishing
On balance, I would say that half of pipe making involves sanding. It’s not exactly the fun part of making a pipe, but the results are worth the care and effort. Theoretically, rasps and files are used to establish the … Continue reading
The Literary Workshop Blog 