Editor’s note: I am pleased – and slightly surprised – to announce that we are now shipping “The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke” by Monroe Robinson. This book came in much earlier than expected – I didn’t think we would see it until January. Let’s hope this means the paper shortage is abating. Other good…
Read moreI can’t remember a recent project where I didn’t pick up a bird-cage awl. From marking the location of spindles or screws to actually drilling holes for tiny screws, a bird-cage awl is essential for installing hardware, deepening marks left by your dividers and even cleaning out junk from the corners of deep mortises. I’ve…
Read moreThe first section of my forthcoming book, “Backwoods Chairs,” documents my search for the dwindling ranks of Appalachian woven-bottom chairmakers who count(ed) chairmaking as a significant income. The income piece is essentially my only criteria for the makers: that chairmaking provides at least a part of their livelihood. I had no real idea what to expect…
Read moreI know I’m going to get some flack for this entry, but I’m already over it. Yes, I am about to recommend a surge protector that costs $200. No, I’m not crazy. And yes, I like the pretty colors that they come in. We don’t have a lot of electrical outlets in our workshop. When…
Read moreI suspect that I learned more about math, civics and language from “Schoolhouse Rock!” than I did from school itself. The magic of “Schoolhouse Rock!” is the magic of all good education. That is: It is so engrossing that you don’t realize you are learning heavy and important lessons. Practical geometry is one of those…
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