One of the earliest challenges I had in woodworking was deciding how to store sandpaper. Disks for random orbit sanders come in boxes. The disks curl, like all sandpaper, but it’s OK because the platen flattens them back out again. Sandpaper pre-attached to sanding blocks stays flat, but it seems to be such a wasteful […]
I recently started a log called, “What I learned during this project.” What was the inspiration for such a file? Mistakes. I suspect there are three kinds of woodworkers when it comes to mistakes: those who make a few, those who make a lot (yours truly) and liars. I was assembling the stool pictured below […]
No Southern-fried Southern boy wants to be called a Yankee, but we share the characteristics of shrewdness and thrift. Thus, each month I share a money-saving tip. It’s OK if you call me “cheap.” When a friend advised me to thin my Epifanes varnish 50% to 75%, my first thought was, “I don’t want to pour […]
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 […]
We were very excited to listen to Popular Woodworking’s Megan Fitzpatrick interviewing Nick Offerman last week. Among the many topics they discussed were Peter Galbert’s mean turkey stew, the similarities between building boats and building acoustic instruments, Nick’s shop in Los Angeles, and of course, his new book: Good Clean Fun, on sale now at […]
Generating gifts for others on special occasions and holidays can be a challenge that offers endless opportunities for creativity and imagination while adding a tension of uncertainty that comes from trying to guess what will delight someone else on a specific occasion, particularly if you wish to make it. While I prefer to make gifts […]
The Holidays are upon us and I think many wood workers are looking for things to make as gifts. One thing I like to make and which can be done quickly and easily is a wooden pen. My favorite this year is the “bolt action” pen. As you might infer from the name, the point is extended by […]