I have been fascinated with boxes for as long as I can remember and have amassed quite a collection, ranging from simple rectangular boxes to more complex sculpted puzzle boxes that I have long since forgotten how to open. In this article I am going to take you through the steps of creating a simple sliding lid box using some new techniques. Read more…
The sixth of several articles on using hand tools – Creating a cutting board using Breadboard Ends
Part 5 – Panel Doors. Right now the humidity outside my air-conditioned workshop is around 85% and climbing and all of the wood in my workshop is swelling. It’s a fact: wood expands and contracts and when making furniture you have to account for these fluctuations.
Cabinet carcasses are generally constructed so expansion happens front to back, thus minimizing the effect. Read more…
Bridle joints can be use anywhere you might use half-lap or mortise and tenon joints. They are very strong and a good choice for jointing thin stock, especially where a lap joint would not offer strength and a mortise and tenon would be too small. I have even seen double bridle joints used in the construction of chairs, joining arm and leg in one flowing piece. As a general rule, a bridle joint can be used in place of a lap joint, but a lap joint should not be used in place of a bridle joint.
As a boy, attending secondary school in England in 70’s, I was required to take woodworking classes as part of my education. For most of us this was our first encounter with using traditional hand tools. We learned how to manipulate wood by planing, sawing and chiseling and created all sorts of things including garden dibbers, boxes, chessboards and coffee tables read more…
This was the mystery tool – I had many responses but not a single correct one – which really wasn’t a surprise given that this tool is probably no longer used.