This season, in the woodshop, I’ve been focusing on the rustic look. As woodworkers, we acquire many things including tools and books, but the most space consuming items by far (at least in my woodshop) are several bins over-flowing with off-cuts and scraps. And as Anthony (editor) mentioned in my last article – keep all those scraps – you never know when you might need a piece.
“If you’re interested in building your own wine cellar you need to start by analyzing your space and determining what will fit,” said my local sommelier. Well, that put an end to the underground climate controlled room I was dreaming about! So, for the time being it’s a counter-top wine rack.
“I want to make a wooden ring for my sister,” were the words of my young ‘Padawan’ Wes, “It’s simple!” he said as he proceeded to explain how we could do it on the lathe. I pointed out that while my turning skills are pretty good when it comes to big stuff like table legs, candle sticks and bowls. Tiny finger rings was a whole different story…
The term cope is probably familiar to you, it’s the term given when cutting crown moulding or skirting board profiles so that one piece perfectly matches the profile of the other intersecting piece. Typically this profile is cut with a coping saw.
Cope and stick construction is a technique used in making panel doors and window frames. Rails and stiles are given a decorative profile, using paired router bits.
Who doesn’t like a nice pair of hand crafted wooden salad tongs? These elegant salad tongs are handmade using a bent wood technique that creates a natural spring.
In the 1970s I attended what was then called a ‘Building School’ and learned all the finer points of woodworking and hand tool usage. To this day, the most useful and most used tool in my toolbox isn’t what you might expect…. Read more