Puebco ClipboardsI own more clipboards than bench planes. They manage every project I work on, from new chair designs to glue recipes. I appreciate the way they help me manage things in a chronological manner (and I can quickly change the chronology if necessary). I dislike the shiny pot-metal-and-hardboard clipboards from office supply stores. They…
Read morePuebco Tape DispensersIhave no love for sand-filled plastic tape dispensers. Please, give me cast iron and simplicity and mass. Puebco delivers. This Japanese company designs ingenious products using recycled materials and hand labor from developing nations. Sometimes they hit a home run. Sometimes not. But the cast-iron Puebco tape dispenser is a huge winner. It…
Read moreMr. Pen Circle TemplatesI draw arcs all day long. You might be a fancy “irregular curve” person, but I am as cheap as a segment of a circle. Arcs are the foundation of the decoration of vernacular furniture. You might think peasants were channeling their squid god when they drew that shape on the chair’s…
Read moreMiller Dowels Mini-XWhen things go wrong in the shop, one of the crutches I lean on are Miller Dowels Mini-X thingies. These are stepped and ribbed dowels that you install with a super-insanely-good stepped drill bit. How to use them: First drill a hole with the bit to reinforce a questionable joint. Then tap in…
Read moreCastile Soap Cream for FinishingI advocate using Castile soap for finishing some pieces of furniture. It’s non-toxic, easy to repair and gives light-colored woods a whitish glow. Never heard of soap finish? I’ve written and recorded a lot about it. Here’s an introduction. The only problem people ever have with soap finish is making it….
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