Category Archives: Wood and Woodwork

What’s in a Name?

Posted on September 28, 2020 by

Since middle school, most of us have hesitated to let other people give us names. Name-calling is a basic tool in the toolbox of bullies and leaders of cliques. And even though our parents mostly gave us nice, socially-acceptable names, … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, Wood and Woodwork, Woodenware | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hurricane Sally: A Woodworker’s Perspective

Posted on September 19, 2020 by

To employ the worst of literary cliches: “It was a dark and stormy night.” It really was. On the evening of Tuesday, 15 September 2020, Hurricane Sally slowly moved into the Alabama Gulf Coast. For the last few days, our … Continue reading →

Posted in Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Note of Encouragement to Beginning Carvers

Posted on September 18, 2020 by

If you’re doing any wood carving these days, you probably belong to one or more Facebook groups for carving. Or you follow some expert carvers on Instagram. Seeing beautiful woodwork every day can be inspiring at first. But eventually it … Continue reading →

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Building the Marriage Bed

Posted on July 17, 2020 by

Barely one year ago, I shared a post entitled “One Last Bedstead,” in which I showed how I made a bedframe for my son.  I ended that post with these words: “that should be the last bed frame I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Wood and Woodwork | 1 Comment

Your Project Makes You

Posted on July 11, 2020 by

When you’re building a piece of furniture on a tight schedule, there comes a point where you stop fussing with a workpiece and decide that “good enough” really is good enough.  If, for example, you’re making a dresser for your … Continue reading →

Posted in Wood and Woodwork | 8 Comments

Podcast Recommendation: Hand Tool Book Review

Posted on June 21, 2020 by

I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts.  Yes, there are a lot of great podcasts out there, but the time I have available for listening is pretty limited, so I have to choose my podcasts with care. That said, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Reviews, Wood and Woodwork, Woodworking Literature | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What to Do with an Old Treadle Sewing Machine

Posted on June 19, 2020 by

My wife and I were cleaning out one of our storage spaces, and she dragged out a very old treadle sewing machine.  A decade in the heat and humidity had not been kind to its wooden parts, which hadn’t been … Continue reading →

Posted in Furniture, Sewing, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

From Toy Box to Tool Chest

Posted on June 12, 2020 by

When my kids were very young, I built a few things for them–a cradle, a toddler bed, and a toy box.  But kids grow up, and if you build these things right, you eventually look around at all the kid-sized … Continue reading →

Posted in Boxes, Kids, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Requiem for a Post Oak

Posted on June 5, 2020 by

One of my favorite things about our little suburban yard has been the 100-year-old post oak tree–a species of white oak that you don’t see much down here on the coast.  It was a beautiful shade tree, sheltering the west … Continue reading →

Posted in Lumber, power tools, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sloyd Knife Sheaths

Posted on April 29, 2020 by

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 →

Posted in Build-Alongs, Carving, Wood and Woodwork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment