Olde Tool Workshop

Makin' Me Some Soft Wax

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0500

My latest batch of soft wax

Well, it’s that time of the year when a man’s thoughts turn to soft wax. Homemade soft wax is an indispensable component in any traditional woodworking shop. It’s safe, easy to use, and has a lot of applications from coating tools to prevent rust to using it as a milk paint top coat.

I decided to make up a fresh batch today, as I had all the materials according to Lost Art Press’s recipe, which calls for 2 cups of boiled linseed oil, 108 g of food-grade beeswax, and 4 tablespoons of citrus solvent. I added an extra tablespoon of solvent because I wanted my wax just a little bit softer.

Downloads

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Top 10 Essential Hand Tools - This is a list of what I consider the first 10 Essential Tools for your beginning traditional woodworking journey.

About Me

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

About Me

Hi, I’m Aaron, and woodworking has been my passion for over 12 years. My journey started with a fascination for creating functional pieces from raw materials and has grown into a full-fledged workshop practice where I explore both traditional and modern techniques.

I have a deep appreciation for classic craftsmanship, and I often focus on projects that highlight traditional joinery, elegant design, and lasting functionality. Some of my favorite projects include Windsor chairs, Welsh-style stick chairs, and intricate tool chests inspired by historic Dutch designs. My Dutch tool chest project, in particular, exceeded my expectations, and I’m currently adding a lower chest with a mobile base to expand its utility.

Library

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Library

Here is a list of publications that I have referenced during my formative woodworking years up to and including now. They are what I consider must reads.

Joseph Moxon

Mechanick Exercises – “Or, The Doctrine of Handy-works. Applied to the Arts of Smithing, Joinery, Carpentry, Turning, Bricklayery…” – 1703

Roy Underhill’s Publications

The Woodwright’s Shop – Working Wood with Wedge and Edge
The Woodwright’s Guide – A Practical Guide to Traditional Woodcraft

Lost Art Press and Chris Schwarz’s Publications

(Any from LAP, but here are some I recommend)

Notes

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Some random thoughts go here:

Future plans
Trips
Woodworking News
Cool Tools

Why We Do It

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Why We Do It: A Reflection on Traditional Hand Tool Woodworking

In a world full of CNC routers, cordless brad nailers, and laser sited chop saws, it might seem odd, even unnecessary, to reach for a hand saw and a chisel. But many of us do. We plane our boards flat with muscle, sweat and intention. We mark our dovetails with knife and gauge. We reach for the familiar weight of a wooden mallet instead of plugging in a router (my most disliked modern power tool).

Should You Upgrade to A Bedrock Plane

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notice the Cherry Tote and Knob on the 605 — it had cracked and damaged ones so I made my own.

Bedrock Planes

If you’ve been using standard Stanley bench planes like the No. 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 you might be wondering whether upgrading to a Stanley Bedrock (models 603–607 or others) is worth it. The short answer is: it depends on what you value in your tools. For many experienced woodworkers, the Bedrock series offers a noticeable upgrade in precision, performance, and long-term satisfaction. For others, it may feel like an unnecessary added expense.

Contact

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Get in Touch

I love hearing from fellow woodworkers and tool enthusiasts! Whether you have questions about hand tool restoration, traditional woodworking techniques, or want to share your own projects, I’d be glad to connect.

A Marriage of Convenience

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Stanley Number 3 Type 5 as it was when purchased

Up until now, this blog has almost exclusively focused on tools either made in the golden era of woodworking or new tools based on tools from that period. Well, today’s blog will be covering something a bit more modern—something new from the 21st century: 3D printing (I know there was 3D printing in the 20th century, but it was only in this century that it became available to home enthusiasts).

Hickory Bark and Ash Stool

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Hickory Bark Stool

Sit Your Ash Down

I recently attended the Greenwood Wrights Fest 2022 and took the “Stool Making with Terry Ratliff” class where we made a Hickory Bark and Ash Stool. This was a very informative and fun class and Terry was an excellent instructor. I ended up finishing my stool at home by weaving the hickory bark seat. Thankfully, I had exactly enough bark to seat my stool ( my stool was a fair bit larger than the example stool). These are made with a very few and basic tools (Axe, Maul, Wedge, Draw knife, Shaving Horse, and sloyd knife) but the design is highly evolved.

Plane Catalogs – And Other Resources

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s face it, I love my planes. They do so many jobs from rough stock prep with the scrub or Jack plane to fine surface smoothing with the No. 3 or No. 4 smoothing planes. The plucky little block plane can take off end grain with gusto.

I wrote a blog post about my planes here where I go into detail about types of planes I own and new vs. old planes.

ATC Part 2 – Glue and Skirts

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Day 2 of the Anarchist’s Tool Chest (ATC) build.

To start today’s blog, I’m going to talk a bit about the workshop at Lost Art Press (LAP). This place is very special. Yes — special, special in a really good way. The folks at LAP have poured a lot of love, energy and obviously money into this place. The attention to details and the design choices complement this old structure. Each space in the first floor and the outside machine shop are set up with woodworking and efficiency in mind. They have turned a smelly, dank old bar into a beautiful and fully functional residence and workshop where they can ply their trade. It’s a real pleasure to work in such a historical and functional space. I would not hesitate to go back and take another class at this magical place. The people, the smell of wood and general atmosphere are very inviting. Also, they have the best coffee and pastries. The pastries come from local bakeries and are delicious. There are many local restaurants to choose from for lunch and dinner. This place was such a pleasure to visit.

ATC Part 1 – Dovetails, Dovetails, Dovetails

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Anarchist’s Tool Chest (ATC) is the first book written by Chris Schwarz and published by Lost Art Press (LAP) in 2011. Ths book had a major impact to my woodworking mindset. Before the ATC, I was primarily a power tool user and used hand tools as an afterthought.

For those of you that are concerned about the word “Anarchist’s” (because it has been used in a negative context before) in the title, here is Chris Schwarz’ explanation: This is not scary at all unless you sell cheap flatpack stuff made of termite spit.

Tools Series – Part 7 – Workbenches

Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Tools Series – Part 7 – Workbenches

My mostly complete Roubo Split-Top Workbench with Benchcrafted vises

Workbenches

No workshop tool discussion is complete without discussing workbenches and chests and other ways to safely secure and protect your tools. This week we will be focusing on workbenches. Workbenches are, to some, considered workshop furniture. I think this is incorrect; workbenches are a tool, and in my opinion, the most important tool in your shop.

Tools Series Part 6 Drills and Boring Tools

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

From Left to Right - Millers Falls - No, 05, No. 77 and No. 2A with homemade side handle

Drill Humor, barely …

Do you know how they make small drill bits?
A little bit at a time.

Ok, now that we have the boring drill humor out of the way, we can proceed with the blog. I’ll be showing you my drills and drill bits. I have been through 3 electric drills in the time I have been using my hand drills. To be fair, one of the electric drills was used while I was doing some electrical contracting work. But the fact remains, electric drills are not as robust as hand drills and I love using the beautiful old drills from Millers Falls.

Tools Series Part 5 Chisels and Gouges

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Narex Richter - See its surprising test result in James Wright's Chisel Test - link below

Chisels

Back in my early days while beginning my woodworking journey, I believed a chisel was a chunk of metal with a plastic handle. You’d pound them mercilessly to remove wood during construction. They were not precious or even to be well cared for. They were a rough tool, to be used and abused and forgotten about after the work was done.

Tools Series Part 4 Striking Tools Hammers Mallets Etc

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Poster - courtesy of Lost Art Press

There’s something very satisfying about driving a nail home or hitting a chisel with a mallet where you take just the perfect chunk of wood off. Mallets and Hammers offer the woodworker a great opportunity to make their own tools. At least this was the case for me. I have made several striking tools and I love using them. Woodworking mallets are simple to make and can last you a lifetime (more on that later). Good hammers are easy to re-handle and a joy to use. I have just a drop in the bucket of types of striking tools available to the modern craftsman, but every one of them gets plenty of use.

Tools Series Part 3 Planes

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Lie-Nielsen No. 4 Bronze Bodied Smoothing Plane

09-Jan-2021 Update: James Wright has recently released his comprehensive “Plane Iron Test Results Fast And To The Point” video. Do yourself a favor and watch this. You’ll be glad you did. I recently bought the Veritas PM-V11 2″ Blade for one of my smoothing planes based on his test results.

Planes and plane collecting can become an obsession. Like saws from my earlier blog entry, I have been collecting, acquiring and restoring them for over a decade. I am not a tool or plane collector per se. I collect and restore tools I’m going to press into service. If I do come across a plane I don’t need, that is a good deal and/or that needs restoration I will generally sell it in “farm fresh” condition or I’ll do a minimal restoration that preserves the history, patina and character of the tool while making it usable. I have sold or given away more planes than I currently own.

Tools Series Part 2 Saws

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Disston No. 43 Combination Saw

This week I’ll be talking saws. Besides the hammer and knife, the saw is one the oldest human-made tools. Saws come in such great diversity, with different shapes, sizes, type of cut, and tooth geometry. This will be a pretty long blog entry by necessity as I own quite a few different types of saws and they all deserve a explanation of use and a bit of history. I’ll be presenting my saws to you, explaining what I use them for and where I got them (if I can remember). Like other tools I own, my saws cover only a fraction of the saw types available. I tend to use the sharpest and fastest cutting saws of any particular type. Saws are only useful when they’re sharp. I’m not the best saw sharpener, but I do ok. I’d rather be cutting wood than sharpening saws. Rip saws are pretty easy to sharpen, but crosscut saws are a bit more of an art than science. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of science in saw geometry, but the actual sharpening is a lot more of a learned skill. Even so, it is one that is best learned if you plan to do any hand sawing of your work. I will include my saw sharpening tools in addition to my saws in this entry. So let’s get started.

Tools Series Part 1 Marking And Measuring

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I’m staring a new blog series about my tools, their use and origins. I’m kinda obsessed with my tools. They fascinate me and I just sometimes go into my shop to clean them and marvel at their beauty and design. I would like to say upfront, this is my choice of tools. You may agree or disagree with my choices, but ultimately the tools I choose are my decision and not really subject to anyone else’s opinion. I do listen to others about what tools they like and some people with lots of experience I listen very carefully, but I’m not bound to any one philosophy or system or cult of personality. I have made many tool choice mistakes and will make more in the future. But I try to stick to one maxim: “Buy the best and most appropriate tool you can.” If you can’t afford to purchase a particular tool, make something and sell it to get the money to buy the tool. Sometimes I get lucky and find just the right vintage tool at an estate sale or garage sale, but lately I have been buying new very high-quality tools as I am not necessarily a vintage tool collector.

Roubo Workbench Update 5 The Home Stretch

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Kiki inspecting Roubo Workbench

This project has taken way too long to finish (my first post was on Sep. 15, 2015). This bench deserved better from me. I am on the home stretch now and only have a few tasks left. I have made a commitment to myself to finish this project before the New Year (to be exact, New Year’s Day 2021, there are some members on my family that need that specific of a date declaration.) Here is a casual non-exhaustive, non-binding list of things to finish:

Teaching A New Dog Old Tricks

Fri, 15 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000

First dog closest to vise

During this stay at home time, I decided to finish my loooong term project, my Split Top Roubo Workbench (more on the actual workbench in a later entry). I was working on the legs and benchtop. With this design the dog hole closest to the end or wagon vise (BenchCrafted) is directly over my right leg. The plans call for a hole drilled vertically down the leg to allow for the dog to seat flush with the top. That’s all well and good but how do you get it out?

Wonderful World Of Vises And Their Vices

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

My old bench had a vise that would rack, so I cut out several pieces of 4″ X 1 1/2″ x 1/4″ popular that I had lying around and drilled a 3/4″ hole (you may have to sand the holes or the dowel little bit to get the pieces to rotate easily) in all of them and inserted a 3/4″ dowel with 2 scrap turned end pieces screwed and glued and presto a variable anti-rack block, It can go from 1/" to 2″. This is not an original idea, I have seen wooden versions of similar rack stops on the internet and there is a plastic version of this in a Lee Valley catalog. It’s just really easy to make and works great!

Tools Tools Tools

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Stanley No. 6 Type 11 Fore Plane

Yes folks, I’m talking Hand Tools. Hand Tools are one of my favorite topics. If you live in the South East like I do, then you are privileged to have some wonderful tool resources to draw on to add metal pieces of industrial art to add to your toolbox.

There are several places I search for these treasures of yesteryear. Two of my favorites are Craigslist and Marketplace. Sometimes they advertise rusty stuff other people just pass over, with patience, a keen eye and if you really look closely you can find some great deals.

Tool Chest Dump

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Full Dutch Tool Chest Dump

It’s that time of year when the weather gets cooler and a young man’s thoughts turn to tools. Yes that’s right tools. I have been thinking a lot about tools lately. But wait, you might say as you read this and possibly know how old I am, Aaron, your not a young man! Well everything has perspective and in the woodworking world, I am considered a young man 🙂 Any who, I have been thinking about tools for a few reasons;

Finished Finishing

Wed, 09 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

As promised, here is the finished cabinet. This was a fun and quick project to do and it was so needed in my shop. It was quick because milk paint dries crazy fast and the top coat is only paste wax.

“Happy Shavings”
-Aaron

Click HERE for my YouTube video of this project.

Cabinet Refinishing Project

Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Cabinet Before Painting

Sometimes a project just screams “You must complete me now!”. Well, that is what my latest project was saying to me. I was lucky and picked up a nice pine standing cabinet from Freecycle.org a while back and it looked like it only had one coat of polyurethane on it and the cabinet looked to be 15 or 20 years old. I knew it wold make a great addition to my shop as a paint and adhesives storage cabinet.

Top 10 Hand Tool Woodworking Tools

Sat, 05 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In an effort to help people just getting started in Hand Tool or Traditional Woodworking, I have written a list of what I consider the first 10 essential tools for woodworking. The link below is to my Free PDF document with the Top 10 list and I hope it helps you on your woodworking journey.

Top 10 Essential Hand Woodworking Tools

-Aaron

Roubo To The Rescue

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

You know the the saying, “Everything old is new again?” As you may or may not know, I have been in the process of building my workbench for over a year now and I have been struggling with the benchtop glue-up as I have fewer clamps than I would like and my boards for the top were slightly bowed. Well, after getting my copy of “Roubo on Furniture” from Lost Art Press a few months ago, something I saw in the plates, specifically plate 18 had my subconscious mind working. Specifically the “straightener” that Roubo talks about for edge gluing boards in figure 19 of that plate.

Hand Tools Power Tools Or A Combination

Sat, 02 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

My Way of Working Wood

There are currently 3 camps in the woodworking community on which types of tools to use in woodworking,

Traditional Non-Power Tools only
Modern Power Tools (with some limited non-power hand tool usage)
A mixture Traditional and Power Tools

Traditional Non-Power Tools Only

Let’s address the “Traditional Non-Power Tools only” category first as it was the first method used by woodworkers for millennia before power tools were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through innovation and experience, hand tools were developed to the point of near perfection by the time power tools came on to the scene. In all categories for tools to work wood, there were specific tools and processes to shape and manipulate wood. Some of these processes and techniques were preserved in written works by Moxen and Roubo and others. Some have been lost to the ages.

Roubo Workbench Update 3 Tail Vise Puzzle

Sun, 22 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Tail Vise Rails resting on the bottom of the bench top for a test fitting

At long last, I am back working on my workbench. There was a brief delay because life happens. For reasons I won’t bore you with (cat fostering), I was unable to work in my garage for the past 2 weeks and I was not able to make any workbench progress. Fortunately, I am back in business and I made a major step forward yesterday. I finished the cavity for the tail vise to be installed in. I have the pictures showing the “finished” cavity below. Suffice it to say, I am glad to get that part completed so I can get on with the rest of the workbench. As you can see in the photos, I have not glued the boards together for the front part of my bench. I will probably do this tomorrow. Then I can start gluing the remainder of the boards together to finish assembling the top. Right now the exact dimensions of the cavity is not important. I will need to finish the top surface of the workbench before making any precision cuts to mount the tail vise. In the following pictures you will see the boards clamped together and then expanded to show how each one is individually cut to form the whole. I did purchase some soft maple to attach to the front of the bench because it will get the most abuse from clamping and other activities, so I decided to make it out of maple. Also, it will be dovetailed into the side maple piece which the tail vise will be attached.

Workbench Update 2 - New Leg Vise

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Yea!, My new Benchcrafted Classic Leg Vise is in. Unfortunately they must have run out of the unfinished vises, I am still very happy with this vise. The machining on their vise hardware is amazing. They are the best you can get…period!

Now to build a leg to put it in. Should be able to build a couple on Friday.

-Aaron

Workbench Update 1 - Stock Prep

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

BenchCrafted Classic Leg Vise - Unfinished

3x5x22 Maple End Cap - Cat Inspected (Cookie)

I have almost all the materials on hand for my workbench. I am still waiting for my new Benchcrafted Traditional Classic Vise to get here, but I finished surfacing my hard maple end cap that secures the tail vise to the end of the bench. As you can see my shop cat is inspecting my work with aloof approval. It started out as a rough log and now it is surfaced on 4 sides, square and flat 3″x5″x22″ board. As you can also see, the benchtop boards are now acclimating in my shop. I will start laminating them soon.

And so it begins - My Roubo inspired 18th Century Workbench

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This is a project that is way overdue. I’ve been working with my lightweight commercial workbench for way too many years. Last Friday I purchased 10 beautiful 5/4 x 5″ x 12′ boards of southern yellow Pine. I had already purchased my Benchcrafted tail vice about a year and a half ago. This tail vise is quite an expensive piece of machinery to have just laying around not earning it’s keep. So I have decided to go ahead and build my very own Roubo Workbench. In these pictures you’ll see the boards have already been cut in half and resting nicely on my two saw benches. I will be following Chris Schwarz’s plans for a 18th century Roubo workbench, modified as to fit incorporate my Benchcrafted tail vise. The finished Bench top should be 5″ thick, 20″ wide and 72″ long. This is going to be one heavy workbench. The overall workbench dimensions will be H 34″ x W 20″ X L 72″. I am using Chris Schwarz’s book “Workbenches - From Design & Theory to Construction & Use” as my primary source for plans and instructions. I also have Chris’s other workbench book “The Workbench Design Book - The Art and Philosophy of Building Better Benches”. He has republished his “Workbenches” book and it is available on his website at Lost Art Press.

Just Plane Fun

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

One of the things I love to do in the shop is make tools. I have made saws, tool boxes, knives, mallets, hammers and other assorted useful items. One thing I always wanted to make but was hesitant to, was a plane. Any plane would do, a jack, molding or scrub plane would be great. One of the reasons I have hesitated is because planes are different. They do take some skill and experience to set the blade and the wedge at the right angles where they actuality cut wood and eject the shavings. The history of planes goes back for centuries and they have been made by hand for that long but these things take skill to make and get right.

Brass Hammer

Sun, 18 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

You might not know it, but I have been looking for a brass hammer for some time now. I need a brass hammer to tap my wooden plane’s irons to set them at just the right cutting depth.

You see, brass hammers are preferable to steel hammers as the brass is softer than the plane iron and will not damage it where the steel hammer will “mushroom” the steel and that is bad.

Tale Of Two End Tables Chapter 1 Stock Prep

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

In an effort to expand my experience with building larger woodworking projects, I am starting this new year making some furniture pieces. I do not want to go totally crazy, so I am starting on two Shaker end tables featured in the September 2004 Issue of Woodworking Magazine. This article goes into great detail on building this popular and timeless design. The Shaker style has an appeal to woodworkers, as it is functional, very stylish and pretty strait forward to build. I decided to build two end tables so that I could maximize my wood use and match the pair using the same wood for the whole project.

Dutch Tool Chest

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at the class schedule of Roy’s Woodwright’s School and noticed Chris Schwarz from Lost Art Press was going to be teaching his Dutch Tool Chest. It was then I decided I would build my own Dutch Tool Chest. Yes it would have been great to take the class and experience Chris’s cheeky teaching style and benefit from his vast experience, but I have a business to run so I can’t really get away for the three day class right now. Besides, I knew I had the skills to make this simple project and decided the time was right. My old chest is great and I still use it but, It is not big enough for the tools I use everyday.

Saw Box Finish

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Some of you may remember the Saw Box I started in this post -> Have Saw Will Travel . In preparation for finishing my chair I made in the “Continuous Arm Windsor Chair Class” at Elia Bizzarri’s, I wanted to get some more practice with the finishing techniques that I will use in the chair so I decided to finish my Saw Box.

The process goes like this:

A Turn For The Better

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The competed machine - What a beauty

The completed machine - what a beauty!

You may recall from my previous post, that my half-finished spring pole lathe had become a temporary “bookshelf” due to an injury. Now, oh happy day, it has been repurposed into a functioning lathe! This project, by far, was one of the most difficult I have undertaken. I don’t mean technically difficult, but physically difficult. But let me say up front that it did not have to be this way. Sometimes, we work against ourselves and are our own worst enemy.

Spring Pole Bookshelf

Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I posted some pictures of my spring pole lathe and the great progress I was making. Well, as always, life happens, and manages to alter the best laid plans of men. The lathe was to a point where it was looking really good. After chopping out the mortises, I noticed a bit of stiffness in my arm. I stopped working for the day and rested for the night. My arm was very swollen and I could not fully flex it. Where does the “Spring Pole Bookshelf” come in you may ask? Please bear with me and I will explain.

Its About Time Lets Get This Lathe Started

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Well, it has been too long since my last blog post. I have had a lot of things going on and have not had a lot of shop time, but that dry spell has ended, and I finally got some time to work on my Spring Pole Lathe (SPL). Earlier, I completed the short vertical side, but I did not blog that, so this will cover all my SPL efforts to date.

Up And Down And Round And Round

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

There are times in-between the major projects that I do small side projects just to see if I can get something cool to work. One of my interests is primitive fire starting techniques. There is some good overlap with this interest and my traditional woodworking. Well, a Pump Drill is definitely a project that has both aspects. It can be used as a drill or a fire starting tool.

Got Me Some Syp

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my first entry for the Spring Pole Lathe, I will be making regular updates on my progress for this project. We had company this weekend and I had the pleasure to share some shop time with my new friend who’s name is also Aaron. We had a blast and I hope he had as much fun as I did. After our guests continued on their vacation, I decided to go to my favorite lumber store, Capital City Lumber, and purchase the southern yellow pine, or “SYP,” for this project. Much to my dismay, they do not carry dimensional SYP. I could not believe it, then I remembered I bought some SYP at my local Home Depot for our raised bed garden last year. Armed with this information I headed straight for the nearest Home Depot.

First Step

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

You know the saying: “Every journey begins with the first step,” well this is true for my woodworking projects as well. Last month I attended the MWTCA tool meet in Hillsborough, NC and I purchased a old loom shuttle for $5.00. If you are not familiar with loom shuttles, they are used to pass the horizontal thread through the vertical threads and they have steel cone shaped points in each end. It is these points that I am interested in as centers for my upcoming project - a Spring Pole Lathe. These points make excellent dead centers as they are perfectly round and smooth. I did not mind destroying this particular shuttle because it was made out of some sort a laminate and was not very old. I would have had a much harder time bringing my self to destroy a wooden antique, even for a good purpose. One other plus, I was able to re-purpose the spool in the shuttle as a leather burnisher. It works great for this task.

It Not All About Wood Over Here

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

As woodworking is my main hobby, obsession, meditation etc., I do not usually venture in other crafts … usually. But I have recently been contemplating a journey into the wild and wonderful world of leather work. This is mainly a desire to make items for my tools such as sheaths and various means to protect my tool’s sharp edges from each other and my skin.

I have several cases and sheathes I have purchased or inherited and I still have several items that need to be protected. I have some Axes, adz’ and drawknives in dire need.

English Layout Square

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I hope you had a nice Holiday! I sure did. I got a chance to spend some quality time in the shop the last few days. This English Layout Square is a project I have been meaning to take on for some time, but just never got around to it. After seeing the re-run of the Woodwright’s Shop online where Roy and Chris built this, I had to make one too; it looked like too much fun to pass up.

A Good Day

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Mystery Mallet, Popular Woodworking, Saw Box

You know, woodworking is so much fun. I just love the chance to carve up some wood with sharp tools and a little skill; after which, you have something new that you made, and can be proud of. After my previous weekend escapade (see A Bad Day post), I was in the need of some serious fun. The chance came in the form of a class at Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s School. I was scheduled for the Mystery Mallet class on Saturday. This is a whole day class where you make an intriguing and beautiful woodworking puzzle. The class fit the bill perfectly to balance the experiences of the previous weekend.

A Bad Day

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A Perfect Mitered Dovetail?

Is there such a thing as a bad day in the workshop? I guess if you gouge yourself with a “pig sticker” or slice yourself with a knife, these could be considered bad days. This is not what I am talking about here.

Some days, the good and the bad are not balanced, and you end up with more of one than the other. Yesterday was definitely one of those days. It all started out innocently enough. I’ve not had the opportunity to work in the shop for a few weeks…seemed like forever…but I wanted to continue with the moulding for my Saw Box. I had completed the shaping of two mouldings with my desired profile, and all I had to do was the mitered dovetails and wrap the bottom of the box - then I would be golden. As I had done this for the lid sans the molding profile, I felt pretty confident that I could do the same for the bottom skirt.

Mitres Dovetails And Lid

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

With some trepidation I went headlong into the fabrication of my Saw Box lid. The challenge came from the the geometry of the corner joint for the lid. By mounting the top board in a groove in the frame boards, the only way to conceal the groove would be to use a mitre joint.

The big problem with ordinary mitre joints is they are weak and do not offer a lot of glueing area. This is the reason I chose the mitered dovetail joint. The mitre hides the groove and the dovetail gives the joint strength. I have never cut this joint before, I have only seen Roy Underhill cut these on his 2-episode show on the Woodwright’s Shop where he made a Joiner’s Tool Chest and used this type of joint for the same reason as I was going to use it. My effort was a process of trial and error; my first one was ok, but it had a few extra unnecessary cuts. Fortunately I foresaw this difficulty and planned ahead with extra long stock, which gave me a couple of tries for each piece. When it came to cutting the critical second cuts on each board, I was getting pretty good at it.

Tills And Bottoms

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This was a very productive week with my Saw Box. I finished the main carcass of the box; I tuned and fit the dovetails, glued it up and attached the bottom board…twice (more on that later). I ordered and received my hasp from Lee-Valley tools. This is a big chunk of brass, and it will look great on my saw box. I still need to order the hinges and handles from Horton Brasses.

Have Saws Will Travel

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A few Saturdays ago, I attended the Midwest Tool Collector’s Association (MWTCA) tool meet, and finished acquiring all the tools listed in The Anarchist’s Tool Chest (ATC) book, yea! I can fit almost all of my tools in my traveling version of the ATC, except my saws. So I got to thinking that I currently did not have a good way to store or transport my saws. During the MWTCA tool meet, I saw an old military ammo crate that would have almost done the trick. I did not buy the crate…because I thought it would be more fun to build my own!

Tools Tools Tools 2

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

On Saturday the 15th of September, my brother, Berry, and I went to the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association annual tool meet here in Raleigh, NC. This is one of my favorite meets as it is not far from my home, the weather is usually not too hot, and there are tons of tools and experts to tell you all about them.

Here are some of the highlights of this years meet:

Mod Disaster

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

It all started when I followed Chris Schwarz’s advice and bought the Glen-Drake Tite-Mark marking gauge.

The Tite-Mark gauge has been as useful as Chris described it, and I love this gauge! It is not the problem. I also have a 90’s version of the Veritas marking gauge from Lee Valley tools[1]. This is a nice gauge also, and I have used it for years without a problem; however, after seeing how useful it was to fully retract the blade into the body of the Tite-Mark gauge, I came up with what seemed to be, a brilliant idea: I would drill out the body of the Veritas so I could fully retract the cutter in it. It is brass and easy to work … right?

New Workshop

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Here is my new workshop. It is glorious! I now have tons of room, great light, and a comfortable environment to work in. The white oak floor is so much better on my back than the concrete in my garage. As this is in my house, my family visits more frequently and gets more involved. I would like to thank my wife for suggesting this; she knows this was the right choice every time she sees the joy on my face while I am working here.

Time To Cure

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This weekend was very busy. I am about a week behind my original schedule, as I just finished installing the subfloor (actually I still have a few cement screws to put in). I would like to thank my brother, Berry, for helping me with this difficult job. We had a very lively discussion on the best orientation of the subfloor panels, but somehow we managed to get them installed.

Good Wood

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

New 'used' flooring

I just bought some recycled white oak flooring for my workshop. It is solid 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ from our local Habitat for Humanity store here in Raleigh. I paid $1.50 / square foot, this is very straight grain premium grade flooring on the cheap. Best of all, no additional trees were cut to give me a comfortable and beautiful floor. I plan on sanding the old finish off, putting a light stain and then applying a single coat of poly to raise the grain to make the floor a bit less slippery. This treatment is like the one Chris Schwarz mentions in his ATC book regarding his shop floor.

A Clean Slate

Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I finally emptied my old office this weekend. This is the space for my new “traditional” workshop. Now that it is cleared out, I am on schedule for painting the walls and installing the new flooring. If I can find a deal on some nice maple flooring, I will use that, otherwise oak is my second choice.

My next steps are:

Rip out old carpet and padding
Paint
Prep concrete for subfloor
Install vapor barrier
Install subfloor (Hopefully to be completed by the end memorial day weekend)
Purchase flooring
After a week of acclimating, install flooring
Finish floor
Move in

I know this is not really a woodworking project per se, but it will allow me to be more productive and by being in the house, more inviting. I know my cat will like it. He loves to roll in wood shavings and then track them all through the house. My wife does not like this, but we tolerate it, as it is a small price to pay to have a happy cat.

The Finish

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Well I’ve done it; I’ve gone and finished another project! This has been a pretty long project but I am really pleased with the results.

Background:

Over the winter holiday break I decided to get off my very-rested posterior to make an Anarchist Tool Chest or ATC (see Chris Schwarz ) of my very own. This would mean making a LOT of dovetail joints. My dovetail experience up to that point had been confined to Roy’s one-day dovetail class at the Woodwright’s School (which was great) and a couple of practice pieces that I had done on my own. My trial attempts were pretty pathetic, but at the dovetail class I had a hand-tool epiphany: Sharp tools make all the difference in the world! I know this is a simple concept, but until you have experienced the joy that is using a good, sharp chisel, you have not lived….or at least probably not been successful at dovetail joints.

A Trip To The Store

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite places for purchasing old tools is located right here in central North Carolina. The store’s name is “Antique Woodworking Tools” and is run by Ed Lebetkin. Ed is very knowledgeable and very friendly. He has a huge array of hand tools in stock. His store is located above Roy Underhill’s Woodwright School and if you sign up to his mailing list he will send you his store schedule. So if you are ever in Chatham County N. C. near Pittsboro, do yourself a favor and stop by his store and you too may leave with some new “olde” toys. Also, Ed does buy as well as sell, so if you have tools you do not need, or want to offer up for store credit, make sure you bring them along as well.

Lots Of Changes

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

If you are early to this site please excuse the number of changes going on as I learn how to use the tools for publishing this blog. At least I got the e-mail subscriptions working if you would like to follow my updates via email.

oldetool

No Time Like the Present

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I’m Movin’ my Shop Baby!

My wife is awesome! She is the reason I am making this blog entry today. She has given me the inspiration, the time and most of all the encouragement to pursue my passion for woodworking. She has agreed to let me move my workshop from my garage to our office inside the house. This new location has a lot of advantages over my current setup.

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