When I teach chairmaking, many students are hesitant to cut the underbevel on the band saw. It’s a straightforward and safe operation. The only trick is learning how to steer the seat. This short video shows how I go about it. Your first underbevel might look a little rough, but by the third one you’ll…
Read moreNo matter how many words I write about reaming holes, my message doesn’t seem to get through. People ream for way too long, which burnishes the hole and cooks the reamer. So I made this short video that shows how I ream holes and correct ones that are off. I hope this video helps any…
Read moreWhen chairmaker Chris Williams became concerned about brash wood, he devised a test to detect it. Put the stick up on blocks and whack it with a mallet. Brash wood, which is very brittle, will usually snap in two. I took Chris’s idea and expanded it. I now use “The Sledgehammer Test” to select wood…
Read moreThe latest issue of Quercus Magazine is an important one. In the March/April 2022 issue, Editor Nick Gibbs pays tribute to chairmaker John Brown. It’s a heartfelt, first-person account of his work and friendship with JB, and it fills in a lot of interesting details about their working relationship. Most importantly, it is an unromantic…
Read moreOne of the frustrating aspects of editing a woodworking magazine was how little unplowed ground was left to explore. Well, let me put it another way: there was little ground that we were permitted to explore. Most woodworking magazines stick to a steady diet of the following furniture styles: Vaguely Shaker, Somewhat Arts & Crafts,…
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