Chip carving has been around for hundreds of years, has been practiced by men and women of all ages and from all walks of life, and continues to grow in popularity around the world. There are a number of reasons why this is the case. Chip carving has a low startup cost, does not require […]
What tools do you have that you wish you hadn’t bought? The Wood Whisperer, Marc Spagnuolo, says one is his Dremel tool. I, on the other hand, use my Dremel tool and attachments all the time: cutoffs, buffing small items, engraving/signing my work, routing small areas with the burr, cleaning out knots to ready them […]
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.” I got this little vacuum attachment, you guessed it, for free. I’d never used one before, but, when our regular carpet […]
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 […]
Jim Dillon has been involved with Highland Woodworking for quite some time now as both a customer and a class instructor in the Highland Woodworking classroom, where he teaches monthly classes ranging from hand tool skills to building bookcases, and much more! He became a full-time woodworker in 1998 after he taught writing, which stemmed from […]
If there were a ten-dollar finishing tool that worked ten times faster than a sander, made almost no noise, worked on finishes between coats as well as on bare wood, and did the work of abrasives from 60 to 220 grit, you’d know about it, right? Guess what? There really is such a device: its […]
It can take just one or two successful tries at spray finishing to get why spraying is a great choice everywhere from the home shop to the industrial factory floor. Spray finishing is quite simply a fast, efficient and reliable way to lay down smooth, uniform coatings that adhere well, dry predictably, and require minimal further processing. It also turns out […]