The Antenna

Blue Spruce Toolworks Hand Stitched Rasp Review

Tool: Hand-Stitched Woodworking Rasp Shop Now Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $189.99 A rasp is one of the most valuable shaping tools you can have in the shop. If you...

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The Automaton Branch: Part III – Whittling the Bee

In the first two installments of this series, we explored how to construct the vaulted wooden pedestal and mapped out the mechanical anatomy hidden inside it. Today, we turn our...

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Video: D.R. Dimes Reborn

D.R. Dimes was one of those famous furniture making companies that was so ubiquitous that you couldn’t imagine it ever going out of business. But it did. What I didn’t know is that it has recently been reborn as a one-person shop run by Douglas P. Dimes, the son of the founder.  The story of...

The Splinter Report: June 12th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at too many tools, a leg...

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Raking It In

This was no ordinary modern rake you’d expect Buckingham Palace to order by the dozen, but an all-wooden tool that looked handed down from the first King Charles So, it’s...

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The Spill Plane

A Specialty Plane For Everyday Use. A tool that whispers of simpler times, of hearth fires and candlelit evenings. It’s not just a tool; it’s a piece of history that...

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Ridgid HD1900 NXT Vac Review

Tool: HD1900 NXT Vac Shop Now Manufacturer: RIDGID MSRP: $209 Heavy-duty shop cleanup is where a shop vacuum really earns its keep. For me, a good vac needs three things:...

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Not-So-French Polishing

A new twist on an old method of applying shellac. You’ve spent weeks, or months producing that perfect table from a very special wood, and now it’s time to apply...

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New Books Update (aka Printer Delays)

Our printer is a bit more than a month behind right now, so the three new books that are gestating are overdue. They are, in order expected, Peter Follansbee’s “17th-century Essex County Cupboard,” our “Smalls” pocket book, and volume four of “The Stick Chair Journal.” We do not know when they will be in …...

If I Would Have Been A Man

Thinking through the opportunities available to us. A couple in their late 70s with a project loosely sketched on paper, needing some maple, walked into the shop a while back....

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Woodpecker’s Joinery Sled Review

Tool: Joinery Sled Shop Now Manufacturer: Woodpeckers MSRP: $369.99 Most people think of a table saw primarily as a tool for cutting parts to length or ripping them to width....

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Sandpaper Index

When turning, I like to have all my supplies close at hand, ready for use.  I use an index card box to store and organize cut pieces of sandpaper. It has...

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Antique Planes, from ‘Mouldings in Practice’

We just got the final files from Matt Bickford for a new book on making side escapement moulding planes – so I’ll be diving into the editing and design of that soon. No word just yet on when it will be published, but it’s in the batter’s circle. So I thought, “Why not take a...

ShopNotes Podcast Episode 274 — The Gas Station Situation in Central Iowa

In this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John cover everything from vintage woodworking tools to the surprisingly competitive gas station scene in the Midwest. Head to the...

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The Splinter Report: June 5th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at a trash bin, an ottoman,...

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Westone Thunder I Bass Restoration

As you’ll know, once in a while, I like to do resto project: just for fun really! I’d been hankering for a Westone bass made in the legendary Matsumoku factory and I finally managed to get my hands on one. So, this series of videos is all about bring a 44 year old bass back to life!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Jack-Be-Nimble

These two new jacks do everything the older ones do but incorporate some welcome clamp characteristics. A year or two ago I talked about some new jacks not intended for...

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Flip-Top Tool Cart

No more lifting your heavy tools like mortisers. To store it, just tip it over. When I make mortises, my benchtop mortiser is the go-to tool because it’s fast and...

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Dust Collector Trap Door

Emptying my dust collector has never been something I looked forward to. For years I wrestled with the unit to empty the contents. First, I’d remove the bag and empty...

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New Fulfillment Center for Lost Art Press

This week we will move our order-fulfillment operation and warehouse to a nearby structure with more than 8,000 square feet of space, plus a loading dock and dedicated space for tool assembly and production of glue and our soft wax finish. So if you place an order this week, it might be delayed several days...

Kubb

An outdoor game that’s part bowling, part horseshoes, part chess—and totally fun for all ages.  If you enjoy picnics by playing a relaxing lawn game with the family, you’re going...

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Frank Klausz Finger Joint How-to [Video]

It’s hard to fathom, but finger joints are a relatively new joinery method for Frank Klausz, because why not just cut dovetails when you need a box?  In fact, when...

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Gel Varnish

The (almost) perfect compromise. Most woodworkers do their finishing with one of two wipe-on/wipe-off finishes: oil/varnish blend or wiping varnish. Oil/varnish blend is a thinned mixture of boiled linseed oil...

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Post and Rung Chairs

Slowly removing the barriers to start building. Post and rung chairs can seem intimidating to many: the angles, the steam bending, and the seat weaving. However, this iconic Appalachian style...

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Mortises by Router 3 Ways

Machined mortises are quick to cut and accurate. My old friend from college is a physicist who launches rockets into the sky for a living; let me just say that...

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Online Extras August 2026 #290

Here are the online extras for the August 2026 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Interested in having the magazine delivered directly to your mailbox (physical or email) six times a...

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How to Install Butt Hinges

When I can’t afford the fancy forged hinges (or would rather spend that money elsewhere), I most often reach for 2-1/2″ butt hinges from Horton Brasses (item PB-409, about $42 per pair, including screws and shipping). And while butt hinges are available at any hardware store and at a range of price points (some incredibly...

Take Your Home to Work

A lunchtime woodworking break yields more than a nice saw handle. In 2013, I took Matt Cianci’s Build a Backsaw weekend class through my local woodworking guild. There is never...

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The Splinter Report: May 29th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at the origin of woodworking magazines,...

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Old Growth, Modern Treasure

At St. Albans Cathedral, the old Norman construction is incredible, but the woodworking is out of this world. I’m always impressed by old-growth wood and things made with it. Creating something...

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114. Thierry André

Working out of his solo shop in Quebec, Thierry André is a builder of truly one-of-a-kind instruments.

For episode 114 of the podcast, Thierry dives into his design process and explains why he believes every instrument should include an element of danger and surprise. We also talk about his formative time apprenticing with Fred Carlson and much more.

GoFundMe to help Thierry Andre beat cancer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-thierry-andre-beat-cancer

Links: https://www.thierryandre.com

https://www.instagram.com/thierryandre.studio/

Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by the Looth Group, Dream Guitars and StewMac.

The Automaton Branch: Part II – The Heart of the Movement

In the first installment of this series, we covered the physical geometry of the vessel—taking a raw, rustic tree branch and hollowing it out to create a vaulted pedestal box....

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Plane Wellness and Hand Tool Haven: Building More Than Woodworking

There are woodworking events, and then there are weekends that stay with you long after you leave. Plane Wellness and Hand Tool Haven in Butler, Pennsylvania was one of those...

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The Secrets to Sawing Fast

The traditional hand saw (when wielded correctly) can size all your stock. Here’s a basic primer. Hand saws were used to make some of the finest furniture ever built. They...

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10 Great Woodworking Gifts for Dad 2026

If your Dad is a woodworker, then this is the perfect Father’s Day gift guide to help you shop. He’ll love anything you get for him on this list. Looking...

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10 Great Woodworking Projects To Make For Dad 2026

Handmade gifts are one of the most personal ways to say that you love your Dad. No matter Dad’s interest, you’re sure to find something he’ll enjoy on this list....

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Becoming a Wood Sniffer

Your nose does not lie… its science. Nothing says American hardwood like Red Oak, from flooring to furniture and everything in between, it’s likely the most ubiquitous hardwood in North...

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Social-impact Luthiery

More than 150 years ago, in the heart of Appalachia, James Edward Thomas, known as Uncle Ed, loaded up a handcart and pushed it along the banks of Troublesome Creek, selling his handmade mountain dulcimers in Hindman, Kentucky. Today, at Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Co., the making of these same dulcimers, as  well as guitars,...