Woodcraft Ninjas

Plywood for Beginners – How and Why to Use It

Working with plywood throughout my career has shown me how versatile of a material it is, how sturdy it is, and how stunning it looks in any space. I think plywood is an incredibly efficient use of natural material that has been engineered to reduce some of the limitations of solid wood, and is now […]

Turning the Corner: Unexpected Porch Post

With an historic preservation grant and vision for a return to the past elegance, the new owners of the Pentagöet Inn in Castine, Maine asked me to create and turn the four new newel posts they needed for the renovated main entrance from the street. Their contractors did an impressive job, and the newel posts […]

Turning the Corner: Pentagöet Inn Newel Posts

Fresh from New York City, the new, young owners of the Pentagöet Inn in Castine, Maine arrived two summers ago to embrace the long history of the Town and especially their beautiful building in a way that is both impressive and sustainable. Their vision and energy as owner/operators/hosts of this magnificent old-time, 130 year old […]

Creating Your Own Plans

After you develop into a more seasoned woodworker, you might want to try your hand at creating your own…

Woodworking Patterns

As mentioned in previous posts, woodworking and woodcrafting require precision. One thing that will dramatically help you be more precise…

Woodworking Plans

For almost everyone, it’s not enough for a woodworking piece to simply fulfill its intended purpose; it must also…

Accurate Measuring Tips For Quality Woodworking

Troy Woodworking Tools

Striving For Perfection The professional woodworker and the novice alike stand to achieve the best project results by simply getting the measuring right every time. Consider these simple tips and tricks of the trade as a way to experience higher quality finished results. From building cabinets to sizing drywall or making children’s toys, detailed and accurate measurements are essential. Make no mistake about it; carpentry requires accuracy. Having the right kind of measuring tools is at the…

Tools Used in Woodworking and Woodcrafting

Troy Woodworking Tools

Woodworking or woodcrafting can be a labor of love, but at times it can be just that: a labor. It involves activities such as cutting, drilling, carving, fitting, nailing, screwing, gluing, sanding, staining, finishing, etcetera. But a lot of the labor can be reduced (or at least enjoyed more) by using the right tools for the job. For the most part, tools usually fit into two broad categories: hand tools and power tools (what some parts of…

Saws Used in Woodworking and Woodcrafting

Troy Woodworking Tools

As discussed in a previous post, there a times to use hand tools, and times to use power tools. I intend to go more in depth into each of the individual tools mentioned below in future posts, but let me start with a general overview of the many types of saws that exist and some of their functions: Hand Saws Common multi-use hand saws include a ripsaw for cutting with the grain of the wood, and a crosscut…

More Tools Used in Woodworking / Woodcrafting

Troy Woodworking Tools

Whether you just want to make some furniture for your own house, or you want to start your own wood products factory, then there are some tools and equipment that will make the process faster, easier, more fun, and produce a better result. In previous articles I’ve discussed both hand tools and power tools for woodworking projects, and gave several examples, but I left out a few. To be honest, I could go on for days and not have an exhaustive list of…