One of the most common questions I get is why I don’t use Forstner bits much in chairmaking. The bits are readily available, make flat-bottomed holes and cut cleanly. The answer is basically this: The Forstner’s lead point is too short*. That means if I want to drill anything other than a shallow angle I…
Read moreWhen you drill a hole with a 5/8” bit, then use a 5/8” tenon cutter to make the tenon, you should be golden…right? Nope – unless you get lucky. If you dare enter the fascinating world of boring you will quickly realize this truth: It is up to you to get your drill bits and…
Read more“I do not get your weird chairs,” exclaim about a dozen messages or comments every year. I understand your bewilderment. I remember being a prospective student at Northwestern University in 1985 where I had been paired up with freshmen journalism students. We were supposed to sleep in their dorm rooms and see what university life…
Read moreFor the last few years I’ve switched back and forth between using Wood Owl spade bits and Japanese Star M F-type augers for drilling critical holes. The Wood Owls are about $3.50 each, and the Star M bits are about $9. Both work fine. But here are their important differences. With the Wood Owls, I…
Read moreMy Grandma West spent a large part of her life observing my grandfather, Joe, and my uncle, Tom, at work – either on a house or in the shop. Both were skilled woodworkers, among other things, but each had a different way of looking at the craft. “Joe could look at a staircase or some…
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