Category Archives: Uncategorized

Who’s working on a Friday, besides the folks who work with their hands? That’s just the size of things I think. Maybe some folks will read this anyway. I had an old friend drop by yesterday who had laid down … Continue reading →

I had this crazy idea about the world and how I’d like to change it today. Hear me out. What if folks acted as if they were responsible for their actions? That whatever they did out in the world had … Continue reading →

I am a simple man. I would say simpleton sometimes too. Because I know how problems continue to pop up in the shop. They are always the same. It is always me causing them. My mistake in set-up or not … Continue reading →

I had a one hour project to complete. Another six hours later, I was still working on it. It didn’t bother me that much. My eyes are always such grand estimators of my hands’ abilities. And almost always wrong about … Continue reading →

I recently received a letter from a reader of my new book. Yes, an actual letter written on paper, by hand, to me. It came from out of the blue and from a place in California. I have never met … Continue reading →

Starting in April we offer four weeks of class. This series is called the Hand Tool Shop. It is a great opportunity to get to the bench to work on some important techniques. Enroll for one week, the third week, … Continue reading →

Just a quick note to say that I’m reading at Broadway Books this Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7pm. This is to let folks know about my new book called Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction.  The talk that … Continue reading →

Folks don’t seem to realize this. It took me a long time to figure this one out. Good flow in the shop, like a stream running downhill, makes for good work. Now I’m not saying there aren’t bumps and rocks … Continue reading →

Dovetails. This symbol of woodworking excellence. What a pain in the butt. They’re fussy. They require concentration and skill and enormous patience. At least if you want to do them halfway well. I do have students who after trying tail … Continue reading →

If I only knew how easy it is to fix [insert problem], I would have done it years ago. The problem is not the problem in need of a solution: the drawer that needs planing or the joint that needs … Continue reading →