When you set out to build a piece of furniture do you look to someone else's work for inspiration, or perhaps wait for a suitable plan to take your fancy?It can feel limiting when you have the motivation to crack on, but aren't sure what to build. Or you know what you want you're furniture to … [Read more...]
The Side Table & Bridle Guides – Video Series
Our Side Table Video Series is Now Available - How to Build Furniture This Series can be purchased by clicking here. If you're already a Member then it's best to log in first. You won't find the Queen's English, or many bright and shiny new tools, but our latest Series is all about … [Read more...]
Getting Focused
We're getting a lot of questions about what's coming when, so here's how it's looking:- Next Premium Video - Pre-launching Next Week - The Hand Plane Build - Coming Next Month - Mystery Project - End Of The Year (hopefully) - Book(s) - Completed Next Year (possibly!) Building Your Own Hand … [Read more...]
Good Cause, Good Company
Next weekend (4th & 5th June) is an opportunity to visit a small and rather special show for those interested in hand tool woodworking.It's held in Market Harborough, UK, at the workshop of traditional joiner Richard Arnold. This is the third year that Richard has been so generous with his … [Read more...]
Why Make Your Own Paint?
I enjoy making paint. It's messy and childlike, and can also seem like alchemy. I don't make it a strict or scientific affair, it's more a case of going by feel, the kind of approach I expect an experienced baker takes with a batch of cookies or wholesome loaf of bread.But why would you bother … [Read more...]
Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
A lathe is pretty straight forward. You get a bit of wood spinning, and then gracefully shove a sharp implement into it. As it spins, material is removed evenly from around the centre point, and you end up with your turning. How we get the wood spinning though is the interesting bit. We have a few … [Read more...]
Photos and Feedback
Since our first fuzzy sounding project videos that we made for Youtube a few years ago, we've enjoyed receiving photos of clinched together chests and small cupboards with all manner of door styles. The best part of course is always the story that's written out … [Read more...]
I Need A Bigger Bed
I have a few jobs coming up that require turnings, turnings that are quite a bit bigger than my little compact bungee bench lathe. Some of the turnings are also out of the heavier stuff, so my little compact bungee wouldn't only need more length, but it would need to be of a much heavier build as … [Read more...]
How Often Do You Regrind?
I don’t normally regrind. It's something I've always reserved for when setting up old tools or re-setting knackered edges.But since moving to water stones for my sharpening (I'm still on with that water stone experiment), my usual methods have somewhat let me down. I will talk about them soon, … [Read more...]
Bandsaw Alternative
Despite writing my sensual spiel about the whys of the bandsaw, I haven't actually used it since closing the workbench business. That's because I discovered the frame saw (that thing that the savages use).Prior to four months ago, the most experience I had with one of these savage implements … [Read more...]