Woodworker's Journal

“America’s leading woodworking authority”™

Woodworker's Journal1 min read
From Our Readers
As the end of 2022 approaches, we at the Journal have been thinking about how we might improve the magazine next year. What we should add and what has run its course. Is there something we could do better (always!) or is there a new popular craze tha
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Letters
Thank you so much for publishing the photo of my keepsake boxes in the August 2022 issue [From Our Readers, page 10]. You made this loyal subscriber incredibly happy! Joseph Gervasio Scituate, Rhode Island Rob Johnstone Responds: We’re always pleased
Woodworker's Journal1 min readArchitecture
Reader Projects
Here’s a live-edge walnut coffee table I built recently with a butterfly key installed where there’s a small crack. I think the swirling grain and color changes are really pretty. I thought fellow readers might like to see it. Ed Willer Via the Inter
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Woodworkers Journal
ROB JOHNSTONE Publisher ALYSSA TAUER Associate Publisher CHRIS MARSHALL Senior Editor JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director DAN CARY Senior Content Strategist COLLEEN CAREY Video Production Assistant NICK BRADY Project Builder MATTHEW HOCKING Internet Pr
Woodworker's Journal1 min read
Survey
This issue we polled our survey group about how they measure up … and as usual, they surprised us a bit. 1. Do you use a retractable measuring tape in your shop? a. Yes 98% b. No 2% 2. Do you regularly use a graduated metal rule? a. Yes 85% b. No 15%
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Stumpers
Vintage cutters’ delicious duty. Twenty-five readers offered guesses about the purpose of Ruth Van Kuren’s T-handled mystery tools, at right, which appeared in the August issue. And theories ranged to some degree. “I believe the tool is a flower bulb
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Tricks Of The Trade
I once learned the hard way that the extension cord you use for a tool must be capable of supplying the maximum amperage the tool requires (as indicated on the motor label). I overheated the tool motor because my cord was too long for the necessary a
Woodworker's Journal1 min read
“Design In Wood” Is Back!
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the 39th annual “Design In Wood” show was once again held, June 8 through July 4, at the San Diego Fair. Hosted by the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association (SDFWA), “Design in Wood” is an annual juried woodworking
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
It’s Okay to Believe in Magic Again
Mailboxes in front of the 3½-feet-tall structures installed at public parks around Minnesota invite passersby to write down wishes for the elves to grant. Children ask for toys, adults ask for peace of mind and Jerry Carlson (and the elves) collect t
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Turning Candlesticks For The Holidays
With the holidays approaching, candlesticks add ambiance to any festive evening setting, and they make thoughtful gifts. They’re also a good way to practice your spindle-turning skills. I favor candlesticks that have a classic design with a good-size
Woodworker's Journal8 min read
Contemporary Table
Contemporary is an interesting word. Victorian furniture would have been contemporary in the 1840s, Stickley furniture was contemporary to the 19-teens, and so on. When the Journal first published this table plan back in the 1980s, it was contemporar
Woodworker's Journal4 min read
Kitchen Spurtles
Handmade kitchen utensils are never going to go out of style, no matter how many stainless-steel, plastic or silicone ones are out there now. Wood performs just as well as those options, and it has since long before the Scots were making spurtles bac
Woodworker's Journal8 min read
Wearable Turned Rings
Of all the gift novelties you can turn on a lathe, a wearable, beautiful ring might seem the least plausible option. But with Rockler’s economical stainless, titanium or black ceramic ring cores and just a tiny bit of attractive wood, acrylic or epox
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Turned Ornaments
Holiday ornaments are the kind of treasures that continue to bring smiles, long after you bestow them on family and friends. In fact, I’ll bet that every year when the decorations come out, hand-turned tree ornaments trigger fond memories, like littl
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Box and Finger Joints
Although not quite as snazzy as dovetails, box joints are versatile for all kinds of projects. You can use them to build attractive boxes and trays, good-looking drawers and carcasses, and tool totes and chests strong enough to withstand daily use. T
Woodworker's Journal7 min read
Mortising Machines and Tenoning Jigs
One of the critical turning points in the history of woodworking came when mortise-and-tenon joints were developed. Before that, tables were slabs of wood balanced on pedestals, and wooden doors as well as chest sides and ends were wide slabs of wood
Woodworker's Journal3 min read
Simple Center Finder, Worktop Wall Brackets
If you have a small workshop, Rockler’s Rock-Steady Folding Worktop Wall Brackets (item 58798; $99.99 per pair) can help create a sturdy, space-saving solution anywhere you have two wall studs to attach them to. Made of 13-gauge, powdercoated steel,
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Bow Ties Made Easy with Templated System
Bow ties are a simple form of wooden inlay in which the bow tieshaped workpiece fits into a shallow mortise that exactly matches the inlay’s shape. They’re a classic way to bridge cracks in slabs and thinner boards or hide knots while adding a bit of
Woodworker's Journal4 min read
Installing Tabletop Drop-Leaf Hinges
Drop leaves on a classically made tabletop overlap the center panel with rule joints. Unlike the flat interface of a hinged door in its opening, the center panel on a tabletop rule joint will have a roundover profile along the drop-leaf edges, with a
Woodworker's Journal2 min read
Creating a Super-Smooth Painted Surface?
Q I’m painting a maple tabletop with oil-based enamel. How do I make it look super smooth? Originally, I attempted to paint it with a spray can, but I could not get a smooth surface. I then tried sanding it down smooth with increasing grits of wet/dr

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