Category Archives: Tool Making

Why buy it when you can make it?

Making a Blade Guard for a Drawknife

Posted on August 28, 2012 by literaryworkshop

Not long ago, I picked up a 10″ curved drawknife (made by A. W. Crossman) at an antique shop.  It still had an edge on it, so I scraped off the surface rust and honed the edge.  I wish all … Continue reading →

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How to Make a Marking Gauge

Posted on June 22, 2012 by literaryworkshop

Every woodworker should have a few marking gauges.  Sure, you can buy a nice one, but why buy what you can easily make for yourself?  Making your own marking gauge is a healthy exercise in detail work, and you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Build-Alongs, Marking Gauge, Tool Making, Tutorials, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

In Praise of Joiner’s Mallets

Posted on March 16, 2012 by literaryworkshop

I love joiner’s mallets. They are a study in sheer simplicity, yet small variations in design make every shop-made mallet unique. I have made several joiner’s mallets, and I use three joiner’s mallets on a regular basis. The top mallet … Continue reading →

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Repairing a Broken Plane Tote

Posted on January 7, 2012 by literaryworkshop

A few years ago, I bought a used Sargent jointer plane from Lynn Dowd, a used tool dealer in Garland, TX.  The tote was broken, so I got it for a good price, figuring I could repair the tote easily … Continue reading →

Posted in Build-Alongs, Tool Making, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Cleaning Shop, Saving Scraps: A Photo Essay

Posted on January 3, 2012 by literaryworkshop

I have been working wood for only a few years, and I remember my early frustration with woodworking literature that always seemed to include the instruction, “Use a piece of scrap to…”   I never seemed to have any “scraps” of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lumber, Tool Making, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Storing Rasps and Files

Posted on November 12, 2011 by literaryworkshop

Every once in a while I see this question come up on message boards and blogs: how should I store my rasps and files? Good question. They shouldn’t be just dropped in a drawer or allowed to burrow in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Tool Making, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Simple, Shop-Made Dovetail Marker

Posted on September 16, 2011 by literaryworkshop

It seems like everybody these days has his or her own favorite dovetail marking device, and naturally, I have mine.  They all work fine, but the selection can be daunting if you’re shopping around for one.  So why not make … Continue reading →

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A Mortise Gauge You Can Make

Posted on September 8, 2011 by literaryworkshop

For the past five years or so, I’ve been making do with a Crown marking/mortise gauge, which works well enough, but requires two hands to adjust and lock. Ever since I started building my own marking and cutting gauges, I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Build-Alongs, Marking Gauge, Tool Making, Tutorials, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to Use a Stair Saw

Posted on August 11, 2011 by literaryworkshop

Stair saws, as the name implies, were originally designed to cut dado joints for stairs, but they are useful for dado joints of all sizes.  I got to use my new stair saw a lot recently when I build a … Continue reading →

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Making a Stair Saw, and a Split-Nut Driver

Posted on August 7, 2011 by literaryworkshop

As a self-professed bibliophile, one of my recurring projects is the bookshelf. My bookshelves are usually designed around a simple dado joint, which joins the shelves to the uprights.  For some time, I struggled to cut dado joints with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Tool Making, Tutorials | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments