A common feature in colonial American houses and taverns was the pipe box. A tall slender box, often featuring ornamentation on its top edges and sometimes incorporating a drawer for matches and sundries, it could hold a half dozen or so long-stemmed clay pipes ready for use. I really like the looks of these pipe […]
Return to the June 2016 issue of Wood News Online
Starrett tools have been known for their high level of precision and quality American-made tools since 1878. It is easy to look at their tools and wonder what makes them worth the price, and the answer to that question lies in the remarkable level of precision as well as the long life of these tools. Plan to […]
I found a bench plane at a local antique store that caused visions depicting craftsmen effortlessly shaving paper thin curls with every stroke. In the real world, my experience with hand planes is limited to using a small block plane to make things worse. In my hands, a plane skitters, and chatters, tends to grab grain and rip […]
I’ve always loved those man-on-the street interviews in the newspaper where they ask what’s your favorite meal? and what’s your favorite movie? kind of questions. I thought I would do one of those for this blog. The first concern was who to interview, and so for convenience sake, I decided to interview me. Reduces the burden […]
After 70+ years of joyful working with wood, I thought I had seen most everything, but several weeks ago, something new happened. I had just moved my entire shop to a new location. The move took over a month, and when I arranged everything again, I naturally was very excited to be back into making sawdust. During the […]
Repetition and practice are often all that are needed to bring about an improved outcome with just about any task. This includes pushing a lawnmower (my kids get better at it with each passing summer), swinging a golf club or tennis racquet, or paring & sawing right to your marked line. Practice and experience, along with a little sheer […]