No Southern-fried Southern boy wants to be called a Yankee, but we share the characteristics of shrewdness and thrift. Thus, each month we include a money-saving tip. It’s OK if you call me “cheap.” Free stuff is everywhere! Especially on garbage day. Just this very morning I picked up some perfectly good spruce 2x4s sitting […]
Welcome to “Tips From Sticks-In-The-Mud Woodshop.” I am a hobbyist who loves woodworking and writing for those who also love the craft. I have found some ways to accomplish tasks in the workshop that might be helpful to you, and I enjoy hearing your own problem-solving ideas. Please share them in the COMMENTS section of each […]
Jay Brown’s dad was one of the most inspirational people in his woodworking career. Starting with the ‘tater bin’ they built together when Jay was in his 20’s, the father-son team collaborated on more than one woodworking shop, including their ‘dream shop’, featured in the April issue of Wood News. Take a closer look at the […]
In the May 2017 issue of The Highland Woodturner, Curtis Turner answers a question many new woodturners ask – what types of turning tools should I buy? My students often ask what type of tools they should buy. Specifically, should they buy inexpensive tools or go straight for the expensive ones? I think this question deserves […]
In the May 2017 issue of Festool Heaven, Jim Randolph shares a quick story on how his first use of the Festool Vecturo oscillating tool helped finish a challenging job quickly and easily. I’d had my new Festool Vecturo for only 24 hours before I had a job for it…After several hours of clerical work, […]
I’m building a pencil post bed for our master bedroom. The four posts, cut from curly maple, were chamfered to a tapered octagonal shape, first on the table saw and then with a 45° chamfer bit using a jig that allowed me to use a handheld router. The router created a nice rounded transition at […]
What is the Actual Effect of Woodworking on Your Brain? by Bob Rummer For many of us woodworking is a chosen leisure activity that we take up because it makes us “feel good.” There may be challenges, frustrations, and hard work involved but overall woodworking makes us happy. Now, I am not a psychologist, but […]