Category Archives: Tool Making
A New Tenon Saw to Match
This is the old backsaw I had been using as a tenon saw for the last few years. It’s not a pretty sight. I’m tempted to say that this saw had seen better days, but that would be completely untrue. … Continue reading
I Learned to Turn
A few days ago, I was selling my spoons at an arts & crafts show, and I got talking to one of the other vendors there, a semi-retired gentleman who turns wooden bowls and vessels. He had a number of … Continue reading
A Note on Well-Designed Joiners’ Mallets
There are many, many variations on the basic joiner’s mallet design, but there’s one design element I will always insist on in my own mallets: a curved top to the head. I used to think this was merely a decorative … Continue reading
Making a Joiner’s Mallet
My current joiner’s mallet is over six years old and is starting to show a little wear. I’ve had some pecan wood drying in my attic for a year now, and I decided it was time to bring it down … Continue reading
Building Two Saws: Part 1
This week, I began building two saws, each with a different story behind it. First, the stories. Story #1 A few months ago, my next-door neighbor was cleaning out her shed and threw out a lot of junk. My oldest … Continue reading
Spalt!
It all began back in 2009 when a neighbor was having a pecan tree taken down. I came over to watch the arborist at work, and I asked if I could have part of the trunk. He kindly dropped a … Continue reading
Modifying Tools
I used to be afraid to modify a tool in any way, as I always worried that I would destroy it. But since I’ve begun to make a few of my own tools, that fear has entirely disappeared. I seldom … Continue reading
Retrofitted Planing Stop
When I built my bench about four years ago, I hadn’t thought much about adding a planing stop, but I do often need to plane down pieces wider than my vise. The end vise and a bench dog work okay, … Continue reading
You Know You’re Getting Better at Woodwork When…
your friends bring you small projects and you say, “Sure, I can do that.” It happened to me last weekend. A friend brought me two wooden objects and asked if I could make something similar. The first was a … Continue reading
Turning Saw: A Second Attempt
A few years ago, I got the bow saw (a.k.a a turning saw) kit from Tools for Working Wood and set out to make myself a useful tool. Initially, I was very happy with the result, and I found myself … Continue reading
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