Woodworker's Journal

Few things frustrate my woodworking enthusiasm more than when the side effects of aging get in the way, and here’s one of them. As someone who has worked with my hands for 40 years, arthritis regularly inhibits my grip, making it harder to manipulate

My previous workbench was a Tage Frid Scandinavian-style bench. I liked that bench but found it a bit small for some of the larger projects I needed to assemble, so my assembly table was a salvaged office desk, about 3' x 5'. It worked well for most

Jim Wagner must not fish, because all 31 respondents to his August mystery tool report that it’s an angler’s pliers. There’s no doubt about it, says Bill Sheppard, William Darlington, Tom Tehan, Walter Benefield from Greenwood, Indiana, Dominic Papan

Here’s a simple way to improve the “grip” on any machine fence where workpieces slipping out of place is problematic. Just apply a light coating of spray adhesive to the contact surface of the fence. Allow a week for the adhesive to cure before you u

Last summer and fall, the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis hosted a sparkling woodworking exhibition called “Leaving Your Mark.” From traditional craft born of necessity to contemporary art with a punk heart, “Leaving Your Mark” is an

Three years ago for our April issue, I turned my first segmented bowl from maple and walnut. It was a pretty simple orb-shaped design made up of six rings, eight segments per ring, with a large solid-walnut bottom. I had such a good time turning that

Indoor plants bring color and life into our homes. They are small oases of nature that soothe our nerves and please our senses. This small plant stand has a clean design that displays plants without making a fuss about its own looks and yet is attrac

Epoxy resin work has become exceedingly popular when combined with woodworking. Rockler’s silicone molds make that work so much easier. Measure your components carefully — by weight is best, but volume will work reasonably well. Using a mold release

I guess I might be a little old-fashioned, but I still prefer analog clocks. I know that everyone has a computer in their pocket that can tell you the time in London or Oslo, but I like looking up from my desk and seeing those hands pointing to the t

Elegance can be simple in concept and execution, and this wine cabinet is a good example of just that. Made from only five pieces, it is beautiful by virtue of its rich wenge lumber and lifted to another level with its solid-brass hardware. When buil

Live-edge slabs have been trendy solutions for bar tops, mantels, tabletops, shelving and all sorts of cutting boards for many years now. If you can imagine a project where the rugged good looks of a piece of wood in its most natural form might be ap

Industrial-grade panel saws often have a smaller blade, situated in front of the main blade, to pre-score the surface of what’s being cut before the primary blade cuts completely through it. It’s a highly effective means of eliminating splintering on

Ripping boards or slabs without a straight reference edge, such as roughsawn or waney-edged material, is unsafe. And if you don’t have a jointer or band saw, creating that reference edge is difficult without a convenient solution, such as these Strai

At Lumber Capital Log Yard, we strive to supply lumber products that meet a variety of building needs. Our local eastern white pine provides easy-to-work-with, reliable building material. These mammoth Pinus strobus trees grow well here in north cent

Most wood finishes are food-safe, once their solvents have flashed completely off and the finish fully cures. Even so, there are project applications where your conscience wants all risk of toxicity to be a non-issue, right? Think hand-carved spoons,