Watch this beautiful preview of the new DVD from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks on Peter Follansbee's "17th Century New England Carving," which will be available in early fall 2010.

You'll get to see some of Peter's work and Plimoth Plantation, where he works. If you're not in love with 17th-century furniture and methods, this preview (and seeing Peter's work) could change your mind.

And if you can't wait to get a dose of Peter, visit his blog "Joiner's Notes."

— Christopher Schwarz

I like reading about workbench patents as much as I like movies about gladiators (which is a lot).

So here's how to prove your bench geekiness, and it won't cost a penny (except for the bandwidth). Jeff Burks has compiled almost 2,000 pages of United States patent papers and drawings related to workbenches and workholding between 1845 and 1960. The patents are arranged chonologically in a .pdf file, which has some basic bookmarks and is somewhat searchable using Acrobat's "find" feature.

This is an amazing treasure trove of just about every amazing, ingenious and idiotic workbench patent you could imagine. There must be 30 different patents relating to the parallel guide of a leg vise alone. And the number of patents for pop-up bench dogs is frankly a bit bewildering.

And here's the best part. You can download the entire 112mb file for free. All Burks asks is that if you find any patents that relate to workholding or workbenches for woodworking (not metalworking) that you drop him a line. His e-mail is embedded in the .pdf file.

I've spent a few weeks reading this document and it has sparked a lot of ideas for things I could try in the shop myself. Check it out. You'll be impressed.

www.carpentryarchive.org/files/workbench_uspto.pdf

— Christopher Schwarz

Still More Workbench Resources

• The Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents. This is another treasure trove of patent information on all sorts of tools. datamp.org

• Google has a dang-good patent site that is highly searchable. google.com/patents

• I have a new DVD on building an 18th-century workbench. It's old school. We shot it during several months of work. Watch my beard and hair grow and shrink. Amazing. Check it out in our store.

David Brookshaw has been making amazing tools since 1988 -- many of them miniatures that have appeared in some of the gorgeous tool books from Sandor Nagyszalanczy, including the cover of "Tools: Rare and Ingenious."

This November, Brookshaw is coming to Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Miniaturia show Nov. 6-7, where he'll be showing his miniature tool chest and workshop that we featured on the blog earlier (read about it here and here).

Lately Brookshaw has been making some pieces from the incredible Nessi collection of tools, including the ones below. These were featured in this book, which I bought in 2004 for $80. Ouch. But the essays and photos are well worth it for the ardent tool nutjob.

Brookshaw makes his pieces for sale. The dividers above, which are from the French book "Le Livre de l'outil." They were a commission that cost $3,000. So now I am reconsidering my decision to skip law school.

Check out the dividers below from the Nessi collection, and stop by the show in Philadelphia if you want to see more. You can contact Brookshaw through his web site.

— Christopher Schwarz

Other Tool Makers and Books You Should Investigate

• "Classic Hand Tools" by Garrett Hack

• "The Art of Fine Tools" by Sandor Nagyszalanczy

• Heinz Tools: heinztools.com, where I got my squirrel hammer!

• Gerd Fritsche's Traditional Handplanes: traditional-handplanes.com

If we ever change the name of our magazine to Erudite Blowhard Wood Finery, I know exactly where to get the headlines for all the projects we'll publish: The comments on this blog entry.

We had more than 90 readers enter our contest to come up with the most pompous name for a piece of furniture. Picking the winner was difficult. Here's the scientific way I did it: I picked my 10 favorite then read them out loud at the staff meeting this morning. The one that got the biggest laugh won the contest.

Here's the winner from Ed Furlong:

"Chiaroscuro: Intersect between the bedded angle and the angle of repose – A soliloquy in figured wood and A2 steel."

Ed wins a copy of "500 Cabinets" – plus an ascot and a matching pocket square (not really). But wait. Two other pompous titles got such good response from the staff that I've decided arbitrarily to award them copies of my new "Build an 18th-century Workbench" DVD.

Here is David V's entry:

"The Death of Woodworking"

Featuring three apparently rough cut boards that were actually hand planed and meticulously carved with a carving knife to resemble rough cut wood.

1) A 2 foot square walnut board. Individually titled, "Walnut Square."

2) A 2 foot square cherry board. Individually titled, "Yorkshire Countryside in Blue"

3) A 2 foot square maple board. Individually titled, "A 2 foot square maple board."

It should be noted that the edge of the famous "Yorkshire Countryside in Blue" has a spot that appears to have been a drop of blood from a sharp carving knife. The spot is actually a deconstructionist narrative of the myth of woodworking to demonstrate the personality of the board and any further working on the wood destroys the true beauty of the wood through social conformity. This psychoanalytical embodiment created a radical shift from the hegemony of abstraction in a way that no one actually understands.

The three pieces are on display on a simple table. The table has been titled, "Bob."

And here is Matt Sinclair's entry:

"Neighbors' mysteriously missing tree"

A note for our winners: Drop me a line with your mailing address. Our e-mail system didn't capture your e-mails correctly. And thanks to everyone. When I become a pompous studio furnituremaker (and change my name to an un-writable series of hoots and whistles), you guys can name my windmills.

— Christopher Schwarz

This has been one of our busiest years ever at Popular Woodworking Magazine. Plus, I have been in many foreign lands with exotic cultures and their own languages: France, England, North Carolina.

As a result of my travels, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to some of the interesting stuff we have been working on in the wee hours, including a jumbo-sized project called "Exercises in Wood-Working."

This was a book published in 1889 that was designed to give students at the College of the City of New York all the hand skills they need to become industrious Neanderthals. The core of the book is 39 exercises for you to complete – everything from crosscutting a board to veneering to fairing a boat's hull.

These exercises are unlike a lot of woodworking books in that they focus on basic skills. Instead of building a cabinet to learn about tool – an overwhelming task – you square up a block of wood using a chisel to learn the more important lesson – how wood and steel relate to one another.

We're re-publishing this great book in hardback form, printing it in the United States and selling it for a reasonable price, $17.99. The book should arrive in our warehouse next week. Until that day, you can pre-order the book for $14.39. Visit our store to order your copy.

But that's not all. We're shooting 15-minute videos that walk you through many of the exercises in the book. I'm the host (lucky you). To get in the spirit of this historic book, I don a tie for these exercises, and our video crew desaturated the colors so it looks a bit like vintage footage (but it's not distracting – promise).

We've finished shooting the first eight exercises. The first three are available now as individual downloads in our store. Or you can wait a few weeks and we'll be collecting the first eight exercises onto a DVD (which you can pre-order here at a discount in a package deal with the book).

To show you how useful these are, we're giving away the text and illustrations for "Lesson 1: Use of the Chisel." This is a fun lesson, even if you are an experienced chisel user. The object of the lesson is to square a board using only a chisel. There are some good tricks (including how to burnish the high spots with your try square).

You can download the text and drawings for free here.

Exercise1v2.pdf (148.76 KB)

If you'd like to purchase the video that accompanies Exercise 1, you can do that here in our store. The individual videos are $4.99 each and are downloaded instantly to your computer.

I'm having great fun with these exercises and am looking forward to the next batch of them that we're shooting. I am not, however, looking forward to wearing that tie again.

— Christopher Schwarz

Purchasing Links:

• Pre-order the book: "Exercises in Wood-Working."

• Pre-order the DVD of the first eight exercises.

• Download the first video: "Exercise 1: The Use of the Chisel."

Let's say your table saw's guard is painted black. And you've figured out that if you put a piece of wood under it in a certain way, that usually it comes out cut like you intended. But sometimes not. After all, you can't see what's going on under that guard.

This sounds ridiculous, I know. But that's basically what many woodworkers do when they apply finish to their projects. They don't know how a finish works or why it works (or doesn't). In fact, finishing is still considered by many of us to be a "black art," with secret formulas and the like.

And finish manufacturers only perpetuate this problem because they have so many confusing names for the same product.

Lucky for us, there is Bob Flexner, our long-time finishing columnist.

Flexner started his career as a woodworker, but at some point he became so flummoxed by finishing that he decided to figure out the chemistry. And what he found is that finishing is actually straightforward once you look behind the curtain. Why is it so confusing? Well....

1. Some magazine writers don't understand finishing and continually repeat idiotic myths. (Such as that oil "feeds" a finish. Or that you have to finish both sides of your work to prevent warping. That the inside of a cabinet has to be finished. And on and on.)

2. Manufacturers don't dispel the myths either and tend to feed them with misleading labels and marketing campaigns.

And that is why we hired Flexner as a contributing editor to our magazine more than a decade ago – an honor we have bestowed on very few people.

Flexner has changed the way that hundreds of thousands of people finish their projects. Through his regular column, "Flexner on Finishing," he has busted myth after myth. He has taken manufacturers (and even other writers) to task.

For me, he has made finishing simple to understand and simpler to do with confidence.

So I am pleased to announce that we are releasing Flexner's best columns in a hardbound 224-page edition called "Flexner on Finishing" that will come out in September. You can pre-order it now for $19.99, which saves you $5 off the cover price.

Flexner updated all of his columns, and we redesigned all them for the book (pity our Senior Art Director Linda Watts). But the result will be worth it. Even if you own Flexner's landmark book "Understanding Wood Finishing" you'll find this volume a good companion. Flexner dives deeper into topics relevant to woodworkers – giving you a clearer picture of what happens when the finish hits the board.

I recommend this book without reservation (which is something my company can't pay me to do). I have immense respect for Flexner, his intellectual rigor and his integrity as a woodworking journalist. And if you pick up this new book, I know you'll agree with me.

It's available for pre-order from our store. Click here to order.

— Christopher Schwarz

I know I am going to get flack for this, but I cannot help myself.

Last week we received two copies of a cool new book in the mail – "500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design & Craftsmanship" (Lark). The book is (though I didn't count the cabinets) a collection of 500 designs from woodworkers all over the world.

Most of the cabinets are contemporary, and almost all of them are fun to look at. All the staff members here have been paging through these books since they arrived. I really like these books because you get to see a wide range of work, and it's usually beautifully presented.

But there is something about these books (and some contemporary furniture in general) that makes me giggle: Why do some woodworkers insist on giving their pieces of furniture artsy and unscrutable names?

When I opened the book, the first cabinet I saw was on page 147. It's a cool piece of work. Well-proportioned. I want to know more about how the maker achieved the surface texture. But here's what he named the cabinet: "Naked Came the Weekend."

I was drinking some coffee at the time and I started laughing so hard that I didn't know if the brown water was going to come out my nose or my pants.

Here's another: "Misery is the River . . . Cabinet."

Here's the scene in my head. My wife and I are in the bathroom one morning and she says: "Honey could you reach over the commode and get me toilet paper from the Misery is the River (pregnant pause) Cabinet?"

Or: "Ceci N'est Pas une Boite a Tiroirs" (This is Not a Box With Drawers). Note to self: Add French for another layer of artistic shellac.

"Leap and the Net Will Appear."

To be fair, most of the cabinets in the book have names that are more along the lines of "Teak Sideboard" or "Chiffonier."

But the funny arty-named ones keep me turning the pages.

So here's the contest: You can win a copy of the book "500 Cabinets" simply by submitting your own artistic and pompous title for a piece of furniture. Submit it by leaving a comment below (be sure to include your e-mail so we can contact you – e-mails addresses are never published, by the way).

The deadline is noon EST, Aug. 6, 2010.

— Christopher Schwarz

Our Best Furniture Books

• "Greene & Greene Furniture: Poems of Wood & Light" by David Mathias. We just received our advance copies of this book and all I can say is wow, wow and wow. It's available for pre-order in our store now. I'll be blogging more about this book when I return from North Carolina.

• "Building 18th-century American Furniture" by Glen D. Huey. Glen sits two cubicles away from me, and even though I talk to the guy every day, I am still in awe of the work he does. This book is a collection of his best pieces.

• "Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture" by Robert W. Lang. Bob also works with me here at the magazine, and I am pleased to announce that we now carry his books in our store. Before I knew Bob, I knew his books. His whole series of Arts & Crafts books is excellent.

Just about every week, someone asks Chris, “How can I get started in working with hand tools?” Sure, there’s a lot of information on the Internet…not to mention in our magazine, in other magazines and books, and on this blog and others. But it can be difficult to sort through the scads of information (some of it contradictory) and pick out what you need. That’s why we’re particularly pleased that we are reprinting a classic but little-known book: “Exercises in Wood-Working,” by Ivin Sickels.

First published in 1889 and written to educate college students in the woodworking craft and business, “Exercises in Wood-Working” is an excellent introduction to period hand tools – most of which are still used today. After a fascinating chapter on wood, wood pests and the process of milling lumber, the book teaches you the most essential woodworking operations – how hand tools and wood interact – and takes you through all the basic skills you need to build furniture. It is well-organized, beautifully illustrated and easy to digest.

So now Chris has a simple answer for the question: Get “Exercises in Wood-Working,” do the 39 exercises and practice. Then practice some more. The book is available now for pre-orders; it’s expected to ship at the end of August, and until then, is 20 percent off the retail price of $17.99.

Chris has also recorded a series of short video lessons (about 12-15 minutes each) to accompany the book’s exercises, and we’re presenting three of them right now as “enhanced PDF” downloads. What that means is, we’ve embedded the video with the text in one document, so you can read the words, study the pictures, then watch while Chris demonstrates how to correctly hold the relevant tool and performs the exercise. Available now are "Use of the Chisel: Part1," "Use of the Chisel: Part 2" and "Use of the Gouge," and we’ll have more videos coming soon. (The first eight videos are also being collected on a DVD; it should be ready to ship at the end of August.)

To have a little fun with it, and to pick up on the idea of instruction from the past, we recorded these videos with an old-timey feel (OK – 1950s or so) – it’s the only time I’ve seen Chris in a tie. And he’s wearing it under an apron. I’ll have to don a shirtwaist dress with a big skirt just, and dig out my high-heeled pumps and pearls to fit in (that’s appropriate shop wear, right?).

— Megan Fitzpatrick

I love getting paid to read, so today was a nice day...at least for the few minutes it took me to read Mark Lovett Wells', "Daddy, Can We Play in the Workshop?" This cute little book written for young children alternates between simple text and black and white photos, and shares the story of Mateo (who appears to be about five or six years old) and his father, and a box of hand tools the grandfather gave to the father upon Mateo's birth.

Mateo wants to play in the shop, but Daddy's power tools are just too loud and dangerous. So at night, while Mateo is sleeping, Daddy pulls out the box and investigates what's inside. He has to teach himself to use a hand drill, but afterward, he shares the new skill with his son, and the two get to spend time together in the shop. As the back of the book states, "This story is about a father and son who discover the joy of working wood with hand tools."

Now I have to admit that, as I was reading, the feminist lurking in the back of my brain whispered something along the lines of, "Why can't Mommy teach Mateo, hmmmm?" But, the box is addressed to Daddy and Mateo, so I'm tamping down that reaction.

At $9.99 for 20 pages of text and photos, "Daddy, Can We Play in the Workshop?" costs about 40 cents a page. At first glance, that may seem a little steep – I don't have kids, and I didn't start really woodworking until an advanced age, but Chris's stories about working in the shop with his youngest daughter always make me misty (and make me wish I'd pestered my grandfather into showing me what he knew). So I'm guessing that for a parent and child, those shop memories would be priceless. If you have young kids, I encourage you to take a look at this book (just be sure to tell them that mommies and daughters can play in the shop, too!).

— Megan Fitzpatrick

P.S. If you want to hook kids on woodworking, I think helping them to make simple projects is the way to go. When I started woodworking, the most rewarding thing was having built something. Heck – I remember how proud I was of the candle holders I turned in my one and only shop class in the sixth grade (and I wonder if my mom still has them). Our "I Can Do That" projects, which are free on our web site, are a good place to start. And birdhouses are always fun – the projects in the new "Easy to Build Birdhouses" would be perfect.

Earlier this year I met a fellow woodworker named Chuck Isaacson of Sun Prairie, Wisc., who broadcasts his wood shop on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/sac-s-woodshop. I was inspired and intrigued by how effortlessly Chuck got around his shop. He was able to move about in a way that most woodworkers would envy. The reason this stood out more than other woodworkers I have watched work in their shops is because Chuck is in a wheelchair.

Chuck was deployed in Afghanistan. On Feb. 18, 2007, in southern Afghanistan Chuck's life was forever changed. Chuck was then a sergeant in the U.S. Army and a flight engineer on a Chinook helicopter. With only days left on his tour, the helicopter he was riding in crashed due to winter weather. He wasn't scheduled to be on the flight but took it over for a friend who had injured his back and couldn't make the flight. After the crash, Chuck awoke to find himself sitting in the snow and not able to move his lower body.

“The way I had been propped up against the helicopter I knew it was bad,” he said.

I asked him what his first thought was after the crash.

“Well my first thought was to get the hell away from the helicopter for fear of it burning, which as it turned out it was,” he replied.

It took three hours to retrieve the survivors because the weather prevented further flights from reaching them. Eight of the 22 passengers did not survive the crash. Chuck's injuries were extensive and aside from the broken back he had two collapsed lungs, a broken neck, broken ribs, and a broken leg. He was whisked to Germany where his wife arrived in time for the first of several surgeries. He arrived in the States 10 days after the accident then spent a month at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C. His next stop was Tampa, Fla., for rehabilitation for six months. After he was finished with rehabilitation he was finally able to move back home to his apartment with his wife.

When November arrived Chuck wanted something to do and decided to pick up woodworking. He had taken a shop class in high school and his father-in-law was already a woodworker. At first it was difficult because he lived in an apartment. Also his father-in-law's workshop was too small; he found it difficult to move around.

In January 2009, Chuck and his wife received a blessing, a new home built by the national nonprofit Homes For Our Troops. Homes For Our Troops builds housing for severely injured soldiers. Once moved in, Chuck built a shop in a 24' by 30' space suited for his needs. He bought a General cabinet saw around which he constructed an outfeed table. When setting up his Grizzly jointer he noticed the cabinet had a 4" section of green metal that just had a couple of welds holding it together. He took it to a friend to remove them so he could lower the machine's height. Chuck also purchased a Grizzly band saw that was too tall for him.

The band saw was left unassembled until he could design something to lower it. The band saw's table is now about 30” off the floor. Chuck built all the work surfaces that wrap his shop to accommodate him as well. His roll-under height needed to be at least 26”. He has expressed interest in building a workbench to meet his needs.

“It would need to overhang at least on one side and be low enough for me to work with,” Chuck said about the bench.

Until recently he had worked only on necessities for the shop. Chuck at the same time was scouring the Internet and magazines for information to help him in his journey to learn the craft.

“I was a sponge soaking up from anywhere I could,” he said.

Eventually he found Marc Spagnuolo's web site, TheWoodWhisperer.com, where he has been visiting for over a year. In addition to the free portion of his site, Marc has a paid membership section that offers more content without advertising or sponsors. Recently, the members of the paid section o the site, called The Woodwhisperer Guild, has begun building projects as a group. The inaugural project was a Shaker side table chosen because it was simple and adaptable to the builder's skill level. One goal of this project was to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“With all the interactive technologies we have at our disposal, it seemed like a great time to create what would essentially be a virtual online woodworking program for folks who don't have time, funds, or access to a real woodworking school,” Marc said.

The Guild build was started March 1 and ended the first week of April. Marc and the guild raised close to $9,000 for the charity.

Last Christmas Chuck received a gift of The Wood Whisperer Guild membership from his wife. Chuck decided to build along with the project and contribute to the cause.

“I had been given so much I figured I would give back and pay it forward,” Chuck said.

It also had personal meaning for Chuck, whose father had cancer.

This was the first real furniture project for Chuck, and he completed a lot of firsts with the project. He did mortise-and-tenon joinery, tapered the legs on a homemade jig his father-in-law made and beveled the underside of the table's top. Chuck used cherry for his version of the Shaker table, and it took about 24 hours of building build.

Chuck says he's determined to grow as a woodworker, and his wheelchair hasn't hindered his love of woodworking. When I asked how he felt about woodworking, he replied, “It's all I do outside of school.”

Like all woodworkers, Chuck equipped his shop to fit his situation. And I think it's possible that he can serve to inspire people in a similar condition to take up woodworking. But for me, Chuck serves as a reminder for all of us to continue our passions and never give up no matter what life hands our way.

— Joseph Watson

Joe lives in Moore, Okla., and works as a computer programmer for Oklahoma County. He's married and has one daughter. Joe likes to study Shaker furniture and build smaller projects such as boxes and small tables. He also uses lots of recycled wood.

Other Shop Design Resources You Should Find Useful

• "Projects For Your Shop" by Matthew Teague

• "Setting Up Shop: Completely Revised And Updated" by By Sandor Nagyszalanczy

• "Rules for Workbenches" by Christopher Schwarz, a free article on our web site.

I follow a lot of woodworking blogs and forums, but I'm more interested in getting the information and getting back to the shop than I am in staring at a computer screen until my eyeballs dry up and fall into my lap.

And that's why I have become a huge fan of the "Spoken Wood Podcast," the mastermind of Matt "The Podfather" Vanderlist. This free service gathers together the best blog entries from the Internet and has the author (or Matt) read them in a radio-show format. You can listen to them at your desk, or you can do what I do: Subscribe to the feed on iTunes and get them loaded onto your iPod and listen to them on the way to work.

Already I've been exposed to some good bloggers I didn't know about before, and I have enjoyed the 23 podcasts Matt has posted so far. To show how much I like the "Spoken Wood Podcast," I've even stepped up my game and have recorded my first submission.

Like anything new, it was fun making the jig you need to record a podcast. Basically I needed a wire hanger and some of my wife's pantyhose. (It's funny. She doesn't even roll her eyes anymore at these requests.) Using these two household items I built a screen for the microphone to stop the "plosives" from ruining the podcast (plosives are the hard "p" sound that makes a hard pop on a recording).

In any case, look for more submissions from me (and perhaps the rest of the staff). To learn more about the "Spoken Wood Podcast," you can subscribe to it through iTunes or listen in at Matt's Basement Workshop.

— Christopher Schwarz

I dislike writing about the magazine business because it's not useful for our readers, who expect us to write about woodworking instead of engaging in navel-gazing.

But because we have received a lot of questions and mail about the merger of Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine, I'm going to make an exception, lift up my shirt and take a quick peek.

First: Thanks for your letters – both positive and negative – about the new magazine. We read them all and respond to every one that we can. In my e-mail inbox, the sentiment about the new magazine is about 2-to-1 in favor of the changes. The criticisms have mostly been about the addition of advertising and the amount of woodworking information we are now delivering. So let's take a look there.

The April 2010 Popular Woodworking Magazine is a 68-page issue with 19 pages that are advertisements. That's 49 pages of "meat," for lack of a better wood. Let's check the "meat index" of an issue of Woodworking Magazine. There are 36 pages in each issue with only one page of advertising (the "Extras" page on page 35). That's 35 pages of meat.

What about Popular Woodworking before the merger? The February 2010 issue was 76 pages with 17 pages of advertisements. That's 59 pages of stories. (Note that we have averaged about 60 pages of meat in each issue during the last couple years.)

It looks like Popular Woodworking Magazine is smaller than Popular Woodworking but larger than Woodworking Magazine. Right?

It's not that simple.

The design of the new magazine is quite different. The paper is larger than what we used with Popular Woodworking, and we have less white space. We also have constrained the size of the photographs at the beginning of each article – no more full-page spreads. And we have tightened up the columnists. "Arts & Mysteries," "Flexner on Finishing" and "Design Matters" are all two pages each instead of three. We tightened things up with old-fashioned editing, by the way. Instead of removing information, we removed unnecessary words that weren't doing their jobs.

So counting pages isn't a good indicator. Why don't we count the words instead?

Personally, I think counting words is silly. No one will argue that Golden Corral is better than The French Laundry because the Golden Corral gives you more calories. But it is one indicator. Here are the numbers:

1. During the last year, Popular Woodworking has averaged 33,642 words of editorial coverage in each issue.

2. Woodworking Magazine has averaged 24,850 words of editorial per issue.

3. The April 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine has 34,254 words of editorial coverage – about the same as you would get in an issue of Popular Woodworking during the last couple years.

Second Complaint: Those tinyurls
At the end of each article in the magazine is a box that points you to online stories and web sites that are related to the article so you can dive deeper into a topic that interests you. In this issue we used "tinyurls," a long-standing Internet redirect service, so you don't have as many characters to type.

A fair number of readers don't like tinyurls. We don't particularly like them, either. But they are a stopgap until we get a new web site in place this summer. We won't use tinyurls going forward, and if you want to find any of the links listed in the print issue you can go to this page: popularwoodworking.com/apr10 (we're building out this page right now. Links are being added as I type).

Third Complaint: When Does My Subscription Run Out?
Some customers have been confused by the merger, especially if they had subscriptions to both publications. If you want to confirm the number of issues remaining in your subscription, check the line on the mailing label above your name; the last issue in your subscription is printed there. If you'd like to clear up a problem, send a message with your name and mailing address where you receive your subscription to Debbie Paolello, our subscription specialist: debbie.paolello@fwmedia.com.

But Why Did You Do It?
The other big question from readers is "Why?" While I tried to address this in my column in the April 2010 issue, I'll add some more details for you.

Many of my colleagues in the magazine business think we're all swirling around the toilet bowl to our watery grave. I'm not that grim, but it's hard to ignore the fact that a lot of my friends in media are out of work.

We know that big changes are coming. And instead of waiting to have it roll over us, we decided to sprint in front of this boulder. While both our magazines were profitable and stable, they consumed all our staff's time and energy to produce 11 yearly issues (those of you who get e-mails from us during nights and weekends can attest to this).

We decided that we had to put more energy into growing our quickly growing online business. And we knew there was no hope of expanding our staff in this time of dwindling corporate resources.

So that's what drove the decision to merge the two magazines. And it's the honest truth. Any speculation you might read on the message boards is simply not grounded in our world, which is based on raw number-crunching, decades of media experience and a desire to stay employed in the best job in the world – getting to write and edit a woodworking magazine.

It is indeed a dream job. But it's a dream that has to live in the real world.

— Christopher Schwarz

For as long as I can remember I've had a helpful chart hanging above my desk that explains 32 common moulding profiles. Whenever I forgot what a "conge" looked like, I could glance up and instantly get the answer.

The source of this obviously old chart has been lost to me – a victim of the fast-moving, fast-rotting Internet. Also lost: A helpful article called "Moldings: The Atomic Units of Classical Architecture" by Donald M. Rattner. It was on the Traditional Builder web site until June 2008. Then it disappeared.

Thanks to the Internet "Wayback Machine" at archive.org,  however, you can still read this article in its entirety -- and all the links to images even work. This link will take you directly to the article. This is a good primer to read, and the chart above is a nice thing to hold onto if you watch George R. Walker's new DVD on mouldings (read my review here).

Get the chart here.

moldings.jpg (330.31 KB)

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. George Walker points out in the comments below that the above chart is from "The American Vignola" by William Robert Ware. It's available to read at Google Books.

Roy Underhill has asked me to appear on "The Woodwright's Shop" during the show's upcoming 30th season. (Note to self: You can now stop squealing like a little girl.)

Between now and the time we tape the show sometime this summer or fall, there's lots I have to do to prepare. Shave my back, attempt to stop looking like a frightened lab animal while appearing on television and – oh yes – decide on something to talk about.

That's where you come in.

Underhill thought it would be fun to have the unwashed (yes, I can smell you from here) readers of this blog help decide on the show's topic. Underhill and I kicked around a few ideas this week. Read them through and then vote for the one you like best using the polling widget below.

I cannot guarantee that the most popular topic will win. I'm still hoping we can do something on hand skills that even the CNC jockeys need (wiping, picking, flicking).

"The Evolution (and De-evolution) of Workbenches"
I'll track the workbench form through history with the help of six cool miniature scale models of my favorite benches, starting with Egypt, moving through Rome and then Paris, with side trips to Scandinavia, England and America!

Then I'll show how civilization reached the summit of workbench design in the 18th century and was then plunged back into the abyss by the Industrial Revolution and the dreaded "Euro-Bench." Plus, details on what's so awesome about ancient workbenches and how you can modify your modern bench to make it work like an old one.

"The 1839 Tool Kit"
We'll take a trip back to explore the toolkit of young Thomas, the hero of the 1839 book "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker." We'll go over his complete tool kit – it's tiny – and show how he was able to stretch this basic kit of tools to build some impressive casework. We'll cut dados, tenons and dovetails using this simple set.

"Sawing With an English Accent"
We explore the "three classes" of sawcuts laid down by English craftsman Robert Wearing. For third-class sawcuts we'll rip wood English-style and compare it to the French and Third-world styles. We'll cut tenon cheeks using the second-class sawcut and show how the chisel is a saw's best friend. And we'll show how to saw your tenon shoulders without using a saw – the tricky first-class sawcut. Plus we'll show how the French cheat on this joint.

— Christopher Schwarz

"A craftsman is one who understands his tools and uses them with skill and honesty. It does not matter whether his tool is a chisel or a planing machine, it is the work that he does with it that counts and you today can be as good a workman in the carpenter's craft as any who ever lived if you will learn to know your tools and to use them well."

— Thomas E. Hibben

When it comes to learning woodworking, sometimes it's nice to treat yourself like a child.

While researching old tool chests for a future project I kept stumbling over a book in people's bibliographies: "The Carpenter's Tool Chest" (J.B. Lippincott) by Thomas Hibben. On a lark, I picked up a copy last week, even though it kept showing up as a piece of non-fiction for juveniles.

The book is indeed for children. The Junior Literary Guild recommended it for boys and girls age 9 to 11 when the book came out in 1933. But as soon as I opened the book I was sucked into it and spent the weekend devouring its contents.

"The Carpenter's Tool Chest" is designed to introduce children to the world of hand work, and Hibben explains exactly what each tool is used for in simple terms. But what really hooked me was the way that Hibben explained the craft and tool development from pre-history to the early 20th century.

The book opens with a series of delightful plates that trace the history of each form of tool from its earliest known forms to the modern day. The simple hand illustrations by Hibben (his father was an artist) are obviously based on photos and illustrations from earlier works. You'll see Andre Roubo's try square in there as well as some familiar pieces that are obviously from Joseph Moxon, plus some that are taken from works of art.

And though there is no bibliography to the book that will allow you to track down all his sources, the plates are still great fun to look at. His two plates on saws show the parallel development of frame saws and our English/Dutch-style saws, and how both Eastern and Western cultures used both forms of saws. The evolution of the hammer and gouge are also particularly interesting.

After illustrating and explaining the functions of all the tools, he takes a stroll through history that starts in the Stone Age and explains the woodworking tools that were in use then. Then he walks through the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Middle Ages and Renaissance. There are hundreds of illustrations and fun facts (such as why the use of adhesives were banned by governments for a time in the Middle Ages).

Woodworking scholars will discount this book because of some of its notable errors – he calls a marking gauge a "measuring gauge," and his drawing of an eggbeater drill shows a tool that would work only in M.C. Escher's dimension. And new scholarship would poke some holes in his timeline.

But still, what a cool book. The original is beautifully printed on nice heavy stock. It's great fun to read. And it puts our craft in a historical perspective that I think a lot of us don't think much about. The history of humanity and wood are as intertwined as the kudzu that tangles the farms of the South.

Hibben himself is an interesting character (read more about him at the Bear Alley blog). Born in Indianapolis, he studied architecture and engineering and had a fascinating life overseas until he was cut down by a heart attack.

I won't say this book is a must-read tome for woodworkers, but if you stumble across a copy in a used bookstore, it's definitely worth picking up. My copy is going into the hands of my 8-year-old daughter.

— Christopher Schwarz

Members of Marc Spagnuolo's online woodworking club – The Wood Whisperer Guild – get access to tons of how-to videos when they join the Guild. But because so much information is free on the Internet, I'm sure many woodworkers are wondering if the Guild is worth the $129 yearly fee.

Now Spagnuolo is offering a two-DVD set that features 5-1/2 hours of the best Guild videos from 2009. This DVD is now available for pre-order at a 10 percent discount – $44.99 plus shipping.

If you don't know much about Spagnuolo, he is The Wood Whisperer, a host of Wood Talk online and one of the best – if not the best – woodworking video podcaster on the Internet. He's funny (well, I think he's funny) and he's serious about both teaching woodworking and learning more about the craft itself.

What you probably don't know about Spagnuolo is he also works behind the scenes a lot, and is always ready to lend a hand helping other woodworking bloggers and podcasters improve the look and functionality of their sites.

This DVD set is a great way to sample the Guild content and see if you'd like to join in. And it's also a good way to get a ton of time-wasting technique videos for long and boring flights or slow days at the office. Here's a list of the videos on this DVD.

Finishing:
"Outdoor Finishes"
"Waterborne Finish & HVLP"
"You and Dye"

Projects:
"Magazine Rack"
"Knife Block" (both of these are I Can Do That projects)
"Wall-Hanging Tool Chest" (Pts. 1-3)

Techniques:
"Joinery Tour feat. William Ng and Darrell Peart"
"Bent Lamination"
"Coves on the Tablesaw"
"Dust Collection and Ductwork"
"Greene & Greene Ebony Plugs"

Jigs & Fixtures:
"Parallelogram Cove Jig"
"Flexible Sanding Strip"
"Sandpaper-Cutting Jig"

If you'd like to read more details about these videos, there are short descriptions on this page about Guild membership. I'm sure we'll get a set here for the office. To order yours, visit this page.

— Christopher Schwarz

This blog post is long overdue.

Late last year I purchased volumes 1-60 of "The Chronicle" on DVD from the Early American Industries Association, of which I am a card-carrying member. "The Chronicle" is the association's quarterly journal, and if you love traditional tools and history, then this DVD is like a giant black hole of your free time.

All 60 volumes of "The Chronicle" are on the DVD in .pdf format (Update: Now the DVD contains volumes 1-61). They have been professionally scanned and indexed so that you can search the entire DVD by keyword to find anything your tool-grubbing heart desires.

Last night I was digging up information on traditional tool chests, their sizes, joinery and inventories for a future project of mine. After five minutes of searching on this DVD I had an overwhelming wealth of information on the topic, including details on several excellent chests that I was unaware even existed.

You can then print out the pages you want (in high resolution) and do with them what you please.

You also can search though the DVD by year, or browse through an index of articles arranged by author (hey look, it's Jay Gaynor) or by subject (seven articles on adzes). Or you can just look for the book reviews.

This DVD makes hundreds of articles available that most woodworkers would never see, including pictures and details of tools that you'll not find on the Internet. And the price is right: $25 for members of EAIA and $35 for non-members (plus $5 shipping).

The DVD works in any computer with a DVD drive and uses Acrobat Reader 8 and 9 (which are free and are also included with the DVD).

This DVD is an immense resource for woodworkers who like traditional tools. I highly recommend it. Visit the EAIA's web site for more information.

— Christopher Schwarz

Matt Vanderlist, a pioneering blogger, podcaster and advocate for the stretchy pants industry, has launched a new podcast called "The Spoken Wood" that I think deserves some space on your iPod.

Here's the idea: Take one part of the NPR program "This American Life," mix in some of the country's woodworking bloggers and make it free for everyone. Vanderlist has enlisted several woodworking bloggers, including Kari Hultman of The Village Carpenter, Tom Iovino of Tom's Workbench and me to contribute.

The bloggers or Vanderlist himself will be reading some of their best blog entries for the show, which you can download to your computer or iPod to listen to. The first short segment featured Kari Hultman reading one of her classic posts from earlier this year in which she "opens a can of Martha Stewart" onto her shop and gets organized.
 
Vanderlist says he plans to post a couple of these stories a week. It's easy to subscribe to the show via iTunes (so they will be downloaded to your computer or iPod automatically). Or you can listen to individual shows here.

These are great fun to listen to during the drive to work and might just introduce you to some new woodworking personalities. I definitely recommend you check it out. It's free and it's easy.

— Christopher Schwarz

We're hard at work this month planning the 2010 Woodworking in America conference, which is scheduled for Oct. 1-3 in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area.

Because this conference will be in our backyard, we're excited to show off the Queen City a bit, and we know we can make this the best conference yet. There are lots of events we're toying with now: tours of the unrestored White Water Shaker Village, bourbon tastings, an evening at the magazine's shop and the list goes on and on.

However, our first goal is to get the program lined up and the speakers invited. And that's where we can use your help. If you've been to any of our Woodworking in America conferences, you know that we always seek your feedback about what you like and don't like about the conference. And after putting on three of these programs, we think we're now dialing into the best way to deliver a huge fire hose of woodworking information in a short three-day weekend.

Thanks to our careful selection of a facility (more details on that soon), we're going to be merging the hands-on sessions with the lecture sessions. And we're going to be offering more and varied topics than in years past. What will this look like? For example, we're planning a room that will be devoted to handsaws. During all three days, that room will be staffed with instructors and volunteers who will be giving short lectures on a variety of topics (selection, sharpening, use, etc.), and there will be workstations set up for attendees to work on these skills at their own pace. And there will be a similar room for handplanes and edge tools. And so on.

The net result is that you will be able to go from room to room to gather the specific skills you want. There will be more time with the instructors. And more time for you to get your hands on the tools.

To this end, we've assembled a short survey to find out what sort of skills we should ask the instructors to cover during the three days. The list covers a wide swath of material, and it's not just oriented toward hand tools – we're considering adding a power-tool component (at the request of some attendees).

If you could please take this five-minute survey, it would help us immensely. And one of the respondents will receive a $100 shopping spree in the WoodworkersBookshop.com. We'll draw the winner on Feb. 8.

Thanks in advance.

Start the Woodworking in America survey.

— Christopher Schwarz

My mailbox is now filled with more than 150 messages about the merger of Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine that we announced on the blog. I am trying to answer every message, but until I can, here are some answers to some of the common questions:

1. How will the content change? Will there be less emphasis on hand work? Less investigation of forgotten methods and tools?

Here's how I see it: Each issue is going to have the same amount of staff-written content in it that is ripped right from the Woodworking Magazine playbook – a couple projects, a couple technique pieces, perhaps a review of a piece of necessary stuff (like screwdriver bits). A glossary (more on that later). This content isn't going to vary from what has been in Woodworking Magazine -- I couldn't change that any more than I could grow another 6".

Add to that the Popular Woodworking columnists: Adam Cherubini, George R. Walker, Bob Flexner. Then add to that two (maybe three) articles from outside authors that could be on any topic that gets the editors riled up. We've got articles coming from David Charlesworth on scraper planes, Chuck Bender on the William & Mary style, Brian Boggs, Jim Tolpin, Jameel Abraham and on and on.

Plus lots of stuff that is common to both magazines: Tricks of the Trade, an Editor's Column, Letters, a back-page column (like Out of the Woodwork), and two pages of short reviews of new equipment.

Will we change the balance of hand-tool and power-tool content? All I can say to that is I'm going to keep editing this magazine like I edited the other two magazines. The interests of our staff and contributors take us down many paths. We write about the interesting trips.

What will you see less of? That's a good question. In print, you are going to see fewer (if any) "tool shootouts." Lots of magazines do this well. Personally, I think skills are more important than tools. So right now the plan is to do tool shootouts for the web site. I think that's a better home for them anyway. When you want to buy a drill, where are you going to start doing research these days? The vast majority of woodworkers troll online for information.

2. Will the blogs change?

This blog is not changing (I do hope we can get a better blog platform, however). The PW Editor's Blog will continue. We're working on the Arts & Mysteries blog right now. Adam is on hiatus because his job has taken him where he doesn't have a shop. We might look to you, the reader, to help us with that one.

We are planning to add a new blog: The Glossary Blog. I know you think I'm nuts, but I think it will be a great thing. More details on that soon.

3. What about this Twitter crap and social media junk?

I know, I know. Some of you don't like the Twitter and Facebook stuff. It's new. No one really knows how to use it so it's universally helpful. This was the same situation five years ago when I started this blog. I got a lot of messages about how they hated having to check it. Why couldn't we just put it all in the magazine? (Because I type too much, that's why. There would be no trees left for woodworking.)

We need to explore these new media platforms. Will we mess up? Yup, you bet. Will we eventually figure it out? If we don't, we'll be hurting.

4. Will the online stuff become more important? And more expensive?

I can promise this: The magazine will always stand on its own. Every article will be a complete world. You won't have to go online to buy something to build a project in the magazine. That's just wrong.

But we do have lots of content online that you might never know about if we don't tell you. Say you liked David Charlesworth's article on scraper planes, well, we'll be telling you that you can read David's other meticulous sharpening articles on our web site.

Will we charge for our site? Eventually parts of our site are going to have to cost money. Otherwise I'm going to have to go back to editing newspapers (oh crap, those are gone!). We've always been fair about pricing -- heck we haven't raised the price of a new magazine subscription for 15 years.

Advertising isn't going to pay for it – heck advertising has always been a small part of our overall budget. We're not some doorstop like Glamour. And now advertising is even smaller. So be it.

I know there's anxiety about this among some readers. Heck, we're all anxious, too. But I'd like to simply say that more things are staying the same than are changing. Same people. Same commitment to the craft. Same tools in our hands.

Thank you for all your comments and suggestions. Believe me, we're listening.

— Christopher Schwarz

Starting with the April 2010 issue, we will merge Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine into one publication that features thicker and larger paper, a new design, and strong writing from a stable of world-class woodworkers – plus the same staff of editors you have come to trust.

The new magazine will be called Popular Woodworking Magazine and it will be published seven times a year. If you are a subscriber to both, or to Woodworking Magazine only, a cover wrap will explain how this change affects your subscription. The April 2010 issue mails to subscribers at the end of February and will be on newsstands everywhere in March.

Why are we doing this? First let me tell you what isn't happening here. To a cynic this might look like a desperate act to stay in business. It's not. Both of these woodworking magazines have posted solid profits year after year and are some of the best-performing publications for our parent company. That is the honest truth. While many of my friends in the media business have been furloughed or laid off in the last year, I'm not particularly worried about my job (knock wood).

What are we changing? Like I said above, we're going to print the new magazine on thicker, brighter and larger paper. Plus we've redesigned the magazine in a way that blends the nice color photography of Popular Woodworking with the understated look of Woodworking Magazine.

The changes, however, aren't only skin-deep. We're taking your favorite authors from Popular Woodworking – Adam Cherubini, George R. Walker, Bob Flexner, Michael Dunbar and David Charlesworth to name a few – and adding them to the no-crap, conventional-wisdom-be-damned  reporting in Woodworking Magazine. You'll also see even more content online – from articles to blogs to video – and how the Internet content enriches and deepens the woodworking knowledge printed in the magazine. In short, every story in the printed magazine will have online content that allows you to dive deep into the aspects of woodworking that interest you.

I have been called a tool dweeb (and that's by people who like me), but I take issue with that assessment. In truth, I have far more books than tools (unless you count every drill bit and cut nail).

At home I have a whole wall of woodworking books in my study. In my office at the magazine, I have three bookcases filled with books, tools, magazines and books. And the basement has several boxes of woodworking books that I don't really use all the time but can't seem to part with.

Recently I was able to dispose of all my old Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine issues by installing them all on my laptop from our annual CDs.

Which made more room for books.

Just about every week, someone asks me for an inventory of my library. Some day I will do that, but it might prove alarming. Until that day, here is a list of the books that I have within 36" of my chair at work. These are the books that I refer to all the time, or I'm reading right now to determine if they belong in my permanent collection.

The file below is a spreadsheet of the title, author, publisher and a line about what I think about the book.

— Christopher Schwarz

Shooting the photo for the cover of a magazine is as unpredictable as my second girlfriend, Kym Harper.

Sometimes it's impossibly fast. You put the project down, take a photo of it and you're just about done. The sun comes streaming through a window. Little cherubs sprinkle shavings exactly where you want them.

Other times, I'd rather be getting a root canal without the benefit of anesthetic. It takes forever. The image fights you. It refuses to look decent.

This morning we headed out to take the cover photo of a Shaker stepback that Glen Huey built for the cover. It's a close copy of one from the White Water Shaker Village, so we decided to take the photo in one of the buildings at the village that is in the midst of being restored.

As the art director, Linda Watts, and I drove out there this morning, we wondered if this shoot was going to be a roughie or a smoothie.

The good thing was that the project looks like a million bucks, as Glen's stuff always does. The other good thing was that the rooms at White Water have lots of detail and windows – but virtually no furniture. The bad thing was that the rooms were small and that was making the photographer grumpy. The cure for a grumpy photographer is equal parts lard and sugar (usually doughnuts).

Today I forgot the doughnuts.

Despite that oversight, everything went swiftly, like when I went to see the movie "E.T." with Kym in 8th grade. The sun didn't come streaming through the window, but we solved that by placing a light outside the building on a C-stand weighed down by sandbags.

We started about 9:30 a.m. and were done by lunch. It doesn't get any better than that (not even during "E.T.").

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. I told Glen I wouldn't post this photo of him on my blog if he paid me $10. Where's my money, dude?

Starting on Friday, we're going to be sending out occasional special coupon codes for books, DVDs and CDs via Twitter, the micro-blogging service that all the kids are using (except, strangely, my kids).

So here's a heads-up: If you start following us on Twitter before Friday, you'll be certain to get the first discount code, which will be for an additional $3 off our new "Handplane Basics" DVD. So your final price will be $16.95 instead of the retail of $24.95.

And here's a Twitter promise: You'll never get a Tweet from us about what we had for lunch, what Glen is wearing (an orange sweatshirt, today) or any other banal personal grooming habits.

Instead, we use our Twitter feed judiciously. We send out Tweets when we've posted new (free) content on our blogs and our web sites. That's good, right? We also Tweet when something cool comes into the shop, such as a cool person (Jim Tolpin just ate a jelly doughnut) or a cool tool (can you say "Holtey?").

And now we'll also be using Twitter to send out coupon codes for our store that will apply to new products, such as this DVD, or to things we are closing out and have a limited supply of.

So follow us. Visit Twitter to set up a free account. And visit our Twitter page here.

— Christopher Schwarz

During one visit to an art school, I saw a lot of things. But it was the French fry boxes that made my head hurt.

Scattered throughout the school were student works that clearly were furniture (i.e. you could sit upon them). Others clearly were art (they were just for looking at). But there were some pieces of work that defied categorization. In fact, at some point I started asking myself: "Hmmm. Is that thing art or garbage?"

Out by the loading dock was a weathered plank of wood propped up against the wall. It had some pieces of wood rudely attached to its backside. Was this a low bench? An art installation? Or a piece of trash waiting to be taken to the curb?

Out by the school's fountain was a pile of grease-stained White Castle French fry containers.

"Ah," I said. "Clearly this is garbage."

But once I got closer I saw the containers were attached. Was this a White Castle wind sock?

I find that pieces of so-called "studio furniture" can be a challenge to appreciate and enjoy. They challenge our perceptions of form, material and function. Truth be told, I quite like the stuff on the whole. I have several books from The Furniture Society on studio furniture and its makers that I always enjoy reading and browsing through.

But it would be foolish to think that studio furniture is a modern invention.

Though you might disagree with me, I think a piece of studio furniture has the following components. It is a piece of furniture that is both designed and built by an individual. And that person is trying to create a new style of furniture that stands apart from other historical forms.

James Krenov was likely the most famous of these makers. Art Carpenter, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof were all what I would call "studio makers."

And if you look at the history of furniture, you'll find studio furniture makers there such as Charles Rohlfs. Check out the quote from him on this page. How about William Morris? Nope. He wasn't a builder. Thomas Chippendale? I think yes. Thomas Sheraton or George Hepplewhite? Again, I think yes.

That got us to thinking: Who in history would be the earliest known studio furniture maker? We need a name (not just "caveman") and they have to be a known designer and builder.

— Christopher Schwarz

Congratulations to Randy Klein and his family for their portrayal of Norm Abram at all phases of his life, from a small mischievous boy up to a full-grown bearded woman (just kidding about that, Mr. Abram).

The Kleins won via universal acclaim for several reasons: Convincing an entire family to do something this crazy, and the looks on the kids' faces. We suspect the kids are all up to no good and we're glad to see safety glass on the whole lot.

The Kleins win a "New Yankee Workshop" coffee mug that is autographed by Norm Abram himself. Abram signed the mug for Publisher Steve Shanesy. Randy Klein has three choices: keep the mug as-is, rub off Steve's name or Randy can change his name to "Steve." We're also going to throw in a two-year subscription to either Popular Woodworking or Woodworking Magazine – just because we can.

We've posted some of our other favorites in a Flickr slideshow, which you can view here. Below are some of our favorite runners-up:

OK, we're suckers for kids dressed like Norm.

Three generations of Norm! Excellent.

This footwear isn't so good for the shop – no steel toes.

— Christopher Schwarz

Add this to your favorites: George Walker has launched a new blog on furniture design that will supplement his column that will appear in every issue of Popular Woodworking starting with the February 2010 edition. Both the column and the blog are called "Design Matters."

Walker is the host of the excellent DVD "Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design," a short and information-packed introduction to the world of using simple proportions to draw pleasing furniture.

We were so impressed with Walker after meeting him that we asked him to write a regular column for Popular Woodworking. He agreed. We also suggested that a blog might be a good way to amplify his points in his columns. And he agreed again.

Walker's first post, "Good Eye," suggests why people tend to like frame-and-panel doors with a bottom rail that is wider than the top rail. It's definitely worth reading.

— Christopher Schwarz

When woodworking magazines publish plans for a reproduction of an antique, we show you the details you need to construct a facsimile. We give you part sizes, joinery details and tips on how to perform the major operations in a modern shop.

But rarely do we give you the social, communal and historical context of a piece. We never try to investigate the original maker's intentions, or discuss his or her relationship to the neighbors, family or village.

So as a woodworker, it was both alarming and thrilling to read Robert Tarule's 2004 book, "The Artisan of Ipswich" (The Johns Hopkins University Press). This slim volume tries to capture the essence of everything important to 17th-century joiner Thomas Dennis as he built a chest for a client one November in his shop.

In this remarkable book, Tarule, a professional joiner, historian and former curator at Plimoth Plantation, takes a bird's eye view of one example of Dennis's work – a 47"-long lift-lid chest in oak with beautiful low-relief carvings. He begins the book with a bit of personal history to explain what led him down the curious path to reproducing 17th-century pieces for a living.

With his bona-fides established, Tarule begins to spin the tale of Ipswich, Mass., from its first mention in the historical texts to the time that Thomas Dennis settled there from England. Tarule's insights into Colonial Massachusetts are surprising (if you had a particularly sanitized view of Colonial history from school, as I seem to).

What you quickly realize is that one of the most important things in 17th-century America was access to wood – for fuel, tanning, fences, construction, cooperage, wheewrighting and joinery. In fact, wood turns out to be a sort of currency among the artisans. And the right to cut wood was the source of lawsuits, fines and revenge.

And so Tarule delves deeply into the topic of wood (oak, in particular). He contrasts how it grew and was managed in the coppices in England with its forms in the New World. And then he weaves the dendrology into the fabric of Ipswich society, explaining all the town's economic needs in terms of the wood.

As a joiner, Dennis needed particular kinds of wood for his work. So Tarule takes us into Dennis's head as he searches the forest for the trees he needs, and he and a helper split the wood and as he prepares it for the chest (now in the hands of the Ipswich Historical Society).

Tarule obviously spent many hours studying this chest to try to tease out Dennis's intentions. He uses every dimension, every knot and every stray tool mark to suss out how this chest was built and the mental processes Dennis employed to design the chest and organize the material to build it.

Because Tarule himself works this way (see his work at his Heart of the Wood web site), you can see that Tarule has faced the same decisions as he rived out the panels he needed for his own chests. And so the voice that Tarule gives to Dennis rings entirely true to me.

For the skilled woodworker, this book won't teach you anything about how to cut a tenon or a mortise, but it will show you how to change your methods to match the goals of a 17th-century joiner. The book won't give you precise part sizes that you can plug into your rip fence on your table saw, but it will show you how to use your material at hand to make adjustments as you go, and to sort out what is important and what is not.

But most of all, "The Artisan of Ipswich" will give you a deep appreciation for the work of 17th-century joiners and to see their pieces in a new light.

— Christopher Schwarz

After 21 seasons, "The New Yankee Workshop" is closing its doors, and its much-beloved host, Norm Abram, is going to focus on his personal projects and PBS's "This Old House," according to Russ Morash, executive producer and director of "The New Yankee Workshop."

"Norm has done this for 20 years, and he thought it time to step back and do a little less," Morash said in a phone interview. "And because the show was so tied to him, we didn't want to replace him."

There has been lots of speculation among fans of the show and the woodworking press that the show was looking for someone to take the reins when Abram left. But Morash said he didn't think that would be a good idea.

"Comparisons would be inevitable (between Abram and a new host)," Morash said.

The decision to stop production of new episodes of "The New Yankee Workshop" was a mutual decision between Morash Associates Inc. and WGBH Boston, Morash said. But that doesn't mean that "The New Yankee Workshop" is gone forever.

A spokesman from WGBH declined on Tuesday to comment on the matter.

The show's web site, newyankee.com, will continue to operate. And Morash foresees putting shows or segments from the show on the Internet in a "You Tube-like situation" so future generations could enjoy and learn from Abram.

Morash also noted that Abram may some day change his mind and want to crank up "The New Yankee Workshop" again.

"Who can predict the future?" Morash said. "He may want to do this again."

In the meantime, Abram will continue to work on "This Old House," and his own personal projects, both building furniture and improving his house.

When asked why Abram chose to stop working on "The New Yankee Workshop" instead of "This Old House," Morash laughed.

"'This Old House' is a much easier deal," he said. "Norm actually had to work on 'The New Yankee Workshop.' It was a lot of work. And I certainly respect his decision to step back."

With the loss of new woodworking programming from "The New Yankee Workshop," many bloggers and woodworking writers are wondering if the craft itself is on the decline or if TV woodworking shows are no longer viable.

"My own view is that broadcast is dead," Morash said. "That's my personal take on it. Newspapers are dead. And print is dying. The only hope is the Internet. And it's my hope that you'll see lots  of Norm on the Internet in the future."

And what about the craft itself? Is that swirling around the drain?

"No. There is a fundamental human need to build," Morash said. "People will always want to polish their craftsmanship."

The other question is what's going to happen to the shop itself, which is stocked with all manner of machines and hand tools. Morash said he's personally looking forward to some free time so he can build a few things in the shop. As for the long-term plans for the shop, Morash suggested that the shop could be put on display at the Smithsonian.

"It could be like Julia Child's kitchen," Morash said, "which I'm told is one of the most popular exhibits there. Who wouldn't want to visit Norm's shop?"

— Christopher Schwarz

Toolmaker Ron Hock has a new book coming out soon and a new blog – both deal with sharpening. I had the privilege of reading the draft of the book, "The Perfect Edge" (Popular Woodworking Books), earlier this year. I think Ron has broken some new ground, especially on the topic of abrasives.

Until the book comes out, I recommend you check out his new blog, called "The Sharpening Blog." He's got two posts up now, with more to come. His latest post is the biggest list of sharpening links on the Internet that I have ever seen. Heck, there is stuff there that I haven't seen.

Ron wisely also looked to the sites run by knife makers in his list. If you think woodworkers are nutty about sharpening, get strapped in for a whole new nut.

After scanning the list of links, I concluded that if you read every one of those pages you would end up more confused than anything. And that's why I think Ron's book will be handy for you. It's not preachy (Ron is probably the nicest guy in woodworking). But it is well-written and quite engaging.

And if you want to learn more about the book, check out this interview with Ron on our site.

This month I'm finishing up work on a new book called "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" that is a bit unusual. You can read full details about it on my personal web site, but the quick over-the-back-fence summary is this:

A couple years ago, Joel Moskowitz at Tools for Working Wood stumbled on a virtually forgotten 1839 book that tells the fictional tale of a young apprentice and how he learns the skills to become a journeyman woodworker. We're republishing the original text, plus Joel is adding a chapter that will be a "History Channel"-style snapshot of England in 1839. I built the three projects featured in the book using hand tools and explored many of the techniques discussed in the book.

In the course of the book, Thomas, the young hero of the story, builds three projects: a packing box, a school box and a full-fledged chest of drawers. The projects are well-built and nicely proportioned. But what is more remarkable is the small tool kit he uses to build these three projects.

I kept a running list of the tools Thomas used throughout the book, and I am almost embarrassed now by the number of tools I have in my toolbox (no, I won't send my tools to you. I'm embarrassed – not crazy). For anyone who is interested in getting into handwork, I hope you'll find this list comforting.

Marking & Measuring Tools
Try square
Chalk line
2' Folding rule
Marking gauge
Panel gauge
Wooden straightedge
Marking knife

Saws
Handsaw
Sash saw
Dovetail saw
Bowsaw

Planes
Jack plane
Trying plane
Smoothing plane
Rabbet plane
Plow plane

Other Tools
Bench chisels
1/4" Mortising chisel
Mallet
Hammer
Nailset
Bradawl
Brace and bits
Turnscrew
File
Steel plate (for clinching and straightening nails)

Shopmade Appliances
Sawbenches
Shooting board
Bench hook

If I had to add any one tool to this list, it would probably be a router plane. It's also worth noting that the book doesn't really get into mouldings, so most woodworkers would want to add a few moulding planes as well.

Building these three projects with a limited set of tools was a bit like going on a primitive camping trip. I was happy to return to civilization and fire up the table saw, powered jointer and planer for my next project. But I'm also dreaming of the day when I get to work like that again.

— Christopher Schwarz

Don Williams is like a shark in a clown suit. He'll bite you in half while you are laughing.

During his presentation at Woodworking in America last weekend, I am quite sure that he destroyed the assumptions about pre-industrial woodworking of many of us in the room. And he did it with jokes, amazing slides and a smooth delivery.

His talk was far-ranging, and in the end it was like a Freakanomics lecture. He convinced me that 19th-century public health efforts are what ultimately led to the near-complete domination of machines in woodworking. But for me to explain that point would take more words than a blog entry should deliver. So let me just give you a taste.

One of the assumptions of many moderns is that powered woodworking machinery was an invention of the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. That before that point, there were no machines and that woodworkers would go off to their shops and "commune with the wood" while they slowly crafted their masterpieces with hand tools, Williams said.

The truth, he said, is much different.

The first powered saw, a reciprocating up-and-down saw powered by water, appears in Augsburg, German in 1337. He showed us a photo of a reconstructed version of the machine, which they called a water-powered sash saw.

Gang saws that slice an entire tree into slabs in one pass appear in the 1750s. Circular saws were not invented by the Shakers, Williams said. He has evidence that circular saws were in use circa 1575, probably in Holland and drived by windmills. And circular saws were widely in use by the 1750s. (He showed us a Spear and Jackson catalog from 1791 that was offering circular saws.)

And Williams then took us on a tour of all the other major woodworking machines and their appearance in the historical record, including planers, jointers, drill presses, dovetailing machines, double-tenoners and on and on. All were pretty much up and running by the 18th century.

This small bit of his lecture was extremely helpful to me as a furniture maker. I'm making a reproduction of a Shaker side table from the White Water, Ohio, community and was completely vexed by the top of the table. I inspected the table completely for tool marks to try to suss out how the table was made. But some tool marks on the underside of the top led me to think that the top was a replacement. But the rest of the tool marks on the top suggested to me that the top was original and the joinery to attach it was done with a saw and rabbeting plane.

With Williams's scholarship, I think it's OK for me to reproduce the table as it is now. There's a good possibility that the lumber could have been sawn and planed by machinery.

And that was worth the price of admission.

— Christopher Schwarz, photo by Narayan Nayar

Southern furniture has always fascinated me, most likely because I've spent the vast majority of my life eating grits below the Mason-Dixon line.

For many years, Southern furniture was unknown or ignored until organizations such as the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts opened its doors. Of course, Southerners have always known about their furniture, but we've always been a little ashamed of it, as much of it was produced with abhorrent slave labor.

There are some great books on the topic, such as "Southern Furniture 1680-1830: The Colonial Williamsburg Collection," which is a fairly pricey tome but filled with great photos.

Recently I revisited two of my books on Charleston furniture while I was visiting my dad's place down there. These two books are widely available new, used and through inter-library loan (a great way to sample a book before you buy it). Here's a quick look at them.

"Charleston Furniture 1700-1825" by E. Milby Burton. This book was originally published in 1955 and was a groundbreaking work in its day. Burton, a long-time director of the Charleston Museum, had access to a wide range of documents and original pieces to assemble this book.

The book is as much a history of the town and its cabinetmakers as it is a book about the furniture. Fully half of the book is a survey of the different shops that were operating in the town at the time. Interesting, yes, but not too useful to the woodworker.

What is useful are the photos of the pieces themselves (which are unattributed to their makers) and some of the excellent discussion of some of the Southern woods used in these pieces. I really must get my hands on some red bay (Persea borbonia) to try some time.

There also are some nice hand-drawn elevations of some significant pieces of furniture, most likely that of Thomas Elfe. But there is precious little information on measurements and the like.

Also interesting are the close-up photos of the carving details. The rice leaf carvings on Charleston furniture are among my favorite details. A limited preview of this book is available on Google Books.

"Thomas Elfe: Cabinetmaker" by Samuel Humphrey. Written 40 years after Burton's work, this book is one of my favorites on Southern furniture. Humphrey is a woodworker, so the text, photos and drawings are all very useful. There are measured drawings of many of Elfe's most significant pieces, plus details of his famous fretwork pattern (which I really must make some day).

This book puts to rest any doubt that Elfe (plus his employees and slaves) were anything less than world-class builders and designers. Though Elfe is clearly influenced by Thomas Chippendale's work, his work has a distinct flavor.

If you are a die-hard enthusiast of Southern furniture, both books are well worth owning. However, if you had to choose one, pick up a copy of Humphrey's book and prepare to be charmed.

— Christopher Schwarz

This is just a quick reminder that the pre-sale price of $27.99 for our new “Handplane Essentials” book ends Friday night. After Friday the price will be $34.99 and the book will not be discounted again from us until January 2010.

Also good to know: This book is shipped free anywhere in the United States.

Last week I reviewed the printer’s proofs of the book, and we’re pleased with the quality. The paper is nice – like the paper we use in Woodworking Magazine – and the photo reproduction is crisp. We also reviewed the book’s hardbound cover, and the quality there is also excellent.

The book should be bound and in our warehouse sometime next week.

If you haven’t heard about the book, here are the details: "Handplane Essentials" aims to get you started using this iconic woodworking tool.

Inside is the knowledge you need to choose the right handplanes for your shop, set them up correctly and put them to use building furniture for a lifetime. “Handplane Essentials” contains everything you need to choose the right tool for your budget and project, take it out of the box, sharpen it and use it successfully. The chapters in this book have been compiled from more than 10 years of my writings on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs.

And it's a sizable book – 312 pages. The hundreds of photos in the book have been sepia-toned, just like the photos in Woodworking Magazine. The book is hardbound, covered in black cloth with a copper embossing and a heavy full-color dust jacket. And – best of all – the book is produced and printed entirely in the United States. Here's what you'll find inside:

Basics
Learn what the different handplanes are used for. Decode their crazy numbering system so you can focus instead on what each tool does. And figure out what specific planes you need in your shop.

Sharpening
Learning to hone your cutters to a keen edge is the secret to getting your planes to work. “Handplane Essentials” shows you how to get this done no matter what sort of sharpening system you use now.

Techniques
Learn how to flatten individual boards, panels and even enormous tabletops with just a few bench planes. Learn to use specialty planes to cut grooves, rabbets and other joints.

History & Philosophy
If you understand historical practice, you’ll be a better handplane user – even if you choose to reject the traditional methods. Learn to pick a well-made old tool based on how it is made.

Reviews
Find out who makes the best high-quality tool, whether it’s a $50 plane from India or a $5,000 plane custom-made by a machinist in Scotland. I've tried them all.

Click here to pre-order the book from our store.

— Christopher Schwarz

When I was in Charleston, S.C., last week one of the tour guides said something about cabinetmaker Thomas Elfe that stuck with me.

"Most of his work is buried in the ground."

One of the primary jobs of early joiners and cabinetmakers was building coffins, and these projects have always fascinated me. Frank Klausz built plenty of coffins in his native Hungary. Chinese woodworkers make coffins out of one single log, like a dugout canoe. And they're illegal.

And one of our former illustrators, John McCormick, tried to go into business selling inexpensive pine coffins that functioned as bookshelves up until the time you needed them for your earthly remains.

And today the New York Times published an interesting story about the rise of home funerals and featured the work of a Maine woodworker who builds coffins that double as almost Ikea-like bookshelves. (Honestly, the bookshelves built by our illustrator years ago were uber-creepy. "Yes, I decorated this room in the Early Elvira Style.")

As I get older, however, the idea of building my own coffin appeals to me. I couldn't imagine paying $6,000 for a commercially-made highboy while I'm alive, so why should I ask my family to shell out those big bucks for a coffin after I'm gone?

Of course, I know what my wife will say.

"You'll never have it done in time."

— Christopher Schwarz

I need to correct a grave error.

In January I published a list of my favorite woodworking writers, but I neglected to include my all-time dearest – probably because her work should be shipped in a plain brown wrapper.

If you are Canadian, then you can probably guess who I am talking about: Mag Ruffman. She was the host of the "Anything I Can Do" show in Canada that featured wistful, gauzy shots of Ruffman driving through the country, taunting the viewer with ribald puns and sawing through boards in a romantic barn while working behind a Veritas workbench.

Oh, and she also played Olivia Dale in "Road to Avonlea," which ran for seven seasons on television.

Though some might say that technically Ruffman is a home-improvement writer, I say to that: But her writing is so titillating. Recently I read a selection of her book "How Hard Can it Be?" out loud in the office, which is why I'm now scheduled for some sensitivity training with our human resources department.

That book is truly one of the funniest books I own. It might be the only home-improvement/woodworking book with a nude bath scene (and thank goodness, really. I'm not sure we're ready as a society to see Norm Abram buck naked. Well, I know I'm not).

Here's a quick G-rated excerpt about building rustic furniture from her book.

You can start creating your own romantic idyll with a few twigs and 2 x 4s. In fact, this is a great project for those new to woodworking because it's "rustic," meaning that even if your results fall somewhere between monstrous and butt ugly, you still rock.

If people criticize your garden screen, laugh mockingly, and say, "It's rustic, man. It's a choice." Then try limping a little when you walk away, so they realize that things haven't always been this easy for you.

Ruffman's work on Canadian television actually was our inspiration behind our "I Can Do That" column in Popular Woodworking, which features projects you can build with hand-held tools and no workshop. And in fact, I put Ruffman on the cover of Popular Woodworking in February 2002.

She built us a potty cabinet (that matches her mouth…), and it is the single most entertaining story we have published in the magazine since I started work here in 1996. Reader response was tremendous. I received letters from readers who said they read the thing out loud to their entire family multiple times. I've tried to get Ruffman back in our pages a couple times, but our schedules haven't worked out.

So Mag, if you're out there and want some work, if your poutine funds are running low, drop me a line.

In the meantime, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of "How Hard Can it Be?" from a bookseller and check out her ToolGirl.com blog, which features some of her older projects and details on what she's building, fixing or writing about these days.

— Christopher Schwarz

"While plaining at my bench, my whole soul was enshrouded with a mantle of tribulation; but I kept on at my plaining, & soon it appeared to me that my plain began to go with less physical force or exertion on my part than usual. It moved more & more easily until it seemed that I had to hold on to the tool, in order to keep it from moving itself."

Look around your neighborhood. The next time you see a truck belonging to a contractor or cabinetmaker, there’s a good chance that the company uses a handplane in its logo.

Though the image of a plane is the mark of the craftsman, there are few craftsmen who really know how to use the tool. Has this knowledge been lost? Are the tools simply obsolete?

The truth is that neither statement is true. The handplane is the most advanced and cunning wood-cutting tool ever invented, and it has yet to be surpassed by anything with a power cord. After World War II, handplanes began to disappear from shops because we traded speed for skill and expediency for quality.

But now the pendulum is swinging the other way. Modern toolmakers have revived the planemaking industry and are turning out quality tools the like of which haven’t been sold for 100 years. Woodworkers are discovering that these tools are fast, satisfying to use and produce remarkably crisp work.

"Handplane Essentials" aims to get you started. Inside these pages is the knowledge you need to choose the right handplanes for your shop, set them up correctly and put them to use building furniture for a lifetime. “Handplane Essentials” contains everything you need to choose the right tool for your budget and project, take it out of the box, sharpen it and use it successfully. The chapters in this book have been compiled from more than 10 years of my writings on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs.

And it's a sizable book – 312 pages – and printed on high-quality paper. The hundreds of photos in the book have been sepia-toned, just like the photos in Woodworking Magazine. The book is hardbound, covered in black cloth with a copper embossing and a heavy full-color dust jacket. And – best of all – the book is produced and printed entirely in the United States. Here's what you'll find inside:

Basics
Learn what the different handplanes are used for. Decode their crazy numbering system so you can focus instead on what each tool does. And figure out what specific planes you need in your shop.

Sharpening
Learning to hone your cutters to a keen edge is the secret to getting your planes to work. “Handplane Essentials” shows you how to get this done no matter what sort of sharpening system you use now.

Techniques
Learn how to flatten individual boards, panels and even enormous tabletops with just a few bench planes. Learn to use specialty planes to cut grooves, rabbets and other joints.

History & Philosophy
If you understand historical practice, you’ll be a better handplane user – even if you choose to reject the traditional methods. Learn to pick a well-made old tool based on how it is made.

Reviews
Find out who makes the best high-quality tool, whether it’s a $50 plane from India or a $5,000 plane custom-made by a machinist in Scotland. I've tried them all.

The book is now in stock. The cost is $34.99, and shipping is free.

To read more or place your order, click here. To download an excerpt of the book in pdf format, the link below.

2-CoarseMediumFine.pdf (3.16 MB)

— Christopher Schwarz

Before Mike Wenzloff became a professional sawmaker, he was a furniture maker. Before that he was in graphic design. Before that? An almost-minister. And before that? Fetus? Nope. Logger.

But through all those professions I have no doubt that Wenzloff has always been a  bit of a troublemaker. And when a professional journalist calls you a troublemaker, it is a high compliment.

So it is with particular pleasure that I announce to you that Wenzloff has launched a blog so he can spread his thoughts on saws, woodworking and who knows what else.

So please visit his blog. Leave a comment. Encourage him to write more. Wenzloff is one of those guys that once you get him started, you can just stand aside.

Visit the Sick Monkey Saw Works Blog here.

Read a profile I wrote of Wenzloff here.

— Christopher Schwarz

The 1830s marked one of the pivotal moments in the history of American furniture. As the country took its first steps toward industrializing, tastes in everything – from architecture to clothing to design – took a turn for the radical.

In fact, some historians say that this moment is when our world transformed from a culture based on wood to one based on metal (and later synthetics).

In the Autumn 2009 issue we visit this important decade to tie together several interesting threads of information that we think will make you a more thoughtful craftsman, designer and (perhaps) person. Here are some of the highlights of the issue. If you subscribe by July 3, you'll be sure to receive this issue in your mailbox.

The 1839 School Box
Thanks to some industrious digging by a book collector, we uncovered a fascinating work of fiction that chronicled the life of an apprentice joiner in 1839 England. The most intriguing part of the book is that it includes plans for three projects with detailed instructions. Build these three projects and you'll have an excellent foundation in hand joinery. In this issue, we present the school box featured in the book.

Review: Carcase Saws
Should carcase saws even exist? Peter Nicholson's 1832 masterwork "The Mechanic's Companion" makes no mention of saws that have a special crosscut tooth like the one featured on carcase saws. It seems that this saw was developed sometime later. We review the current crop of carcase saws and discuss the development of "fleam," which makes a rip tooth into a crosscut saw.

Working Across the Grain
Most woodworkers avoid surfacing a board across the grain, whether they are holding a belt sander, a sanding block, a scraper or a jack plane. Why is this? We probe into the history of this type of operation and tell you why you should take a cue from the 1837 Skinner patent for a veneer slicer.

Also in the Issue:
Shop Built Layout Tools
For centuries, woodworkers made their own squares and straightedges. We want to revive that tradition and show you how easy it is to make accurate, lightweight tools.

Finishing Recipes: Turpentine or Mineral Spirits?
Turpentine – made from tree sap – is the traditional thinner. Besides the smell, is there any real difference between it and mineral spirits? We investigate and share the inexpensive homemade finish we use in our shop.

White Water Shaker Village
We pay a visit to the mostly unknown White Water Shaker Village, which is in the beginning stages of restoration. We share photos of never-before-seen furniture pieces and probe the mindset of the builders of these circa 1830 structures.

Plus, Shortcuts, Letters and the Back Cover, which shows you some layout tricks you've never seen before.

To get four issues of Woodworking Magazine for $19.96, click here.

— Christopher Schwarz

The newest DVD from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, "Unlocking the Secrets of Traditional Design," is the most information-packed, lucid and mind-expanding 68 minutes of woodworking footage I've ever watched.

Using simple images, dividers and basic ideas, George Walker delivers a compelling crash course in how to develop furniture designs using basic shapes (squares, circles and rectangles), simple ratios and concepts such as symmetry, contrast and punctuation.

He also delves deeply into the so-called "column orders" that some architects and designers used to proportion their work. These five orders can help you scale the plinth, case or pediment of your work so the result is pleasing to the eye.

And while all these concepts sound like they are reserved for designing period furniture, Walker makes a strong case that furniture of any style can use basic shapes and proportions that will result in a harmonious composition.

To prove his point, Walker designs a chest of drawers on camera. The left half he designs in a period style; the right half he designs in what he calls a "studio" style of furniture. At the conclusion of his demonstration, I was completely convinced.

But before you can begin to design furniture using these concepts, Walker insists (and rightly so) that you should train your eye to recognize these shapes and proportions in other work and in nature.

And so Walker demonstrates how these proportions apply to examples of traditional furniture and shows you how to explore a photo or drawing using dividers so you can unlock the proportional system used by the piece's designer.

He then takes these same ideas of proportion and explores a piece of reproduction furniture that is clearly a masterpiece of harmonious design.

One of the best parts of the DVD (in my opinion) is when Walker explains the use of symmetry, contrast and punctuation in design – I've never seen it explained so well.

This is a DVD that bears repeated viewings. Walker presents a wealth of information. And though it is dispensed in a simple, easy-to-understand style, there is too much to take in during one viewing.

To help you digest the lessons, the DVD comes with an eight-page cheat sheet you can print out on the column orders (it will help to have that on your lap as you watch), plus a nicely done glossary so you can remember the difference between a die and a frieze.

And I would be remiss if I didn't also comment on the excellent production values of this DVD. It is a lot like watching an episode of NOVA on PBS, with lucid animations, nice set pieces with excellent props and some intimate time at the drafting table.

The DVD is $25 and is available from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. If you like this DVD and Walker's work, I have a bit of good news for you. Starting in February 2010, Walker will be writing a regular column on design for Popular Woodworking – a long overdue topic for us to explore in breadth and detail. Ah, and lest I forget the "full discosure" part of this e-mail: I have hosted five DVDs produced by Lie-Nielsen, but I have never received a penny from any toolmaker. All my proceeds go to charity (the EAIA and the Roger Cliffe Fund). And I have purchased all my Lie-Nielsen tools as well (no freebies here).

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• Want to subscribe to Woodworking Magazine? It's $19.96/year. Click HERE.

After being in and out of print during the last several years, David Finck's "Making & Mastering Wood Planes" is finally available for sale again directly from the author.

This 192-page, full-color book isn't just for the person who wants to build handplanes based on the designs of James Krenov. I read this book when it first came out and was impressed by how much Finck focused on the mechanics of the tools – things that apply to planes no matter what materials they are made of.

Reading this book will help you understand what makes a plane work well. And building one of the planes in this book (using Finck's clear instructions) is a superb lesson in understanding handplanes. The simple act of making a plane will unlock tricks and secrets of the manufactured tools.

More than half the book is focused on using planes in your work: How to hold your stock. How to use the planes to dimension and surface wood. How to use jigs and aids to make your work more accurate. This section also applies to all plane users. Planes used for smoothing a carcase side work essentially the same – no matter if they are made of steel, bronze or wood.

When this book was in print, it was the primary book I recommended for people who actually wanted to use planes in their work. I had to stop recommending it when it fell out of print and became expensive on the used market. But now I can restate my affection for this title: If you like to use planes – and not just look at pretty pictures of them – this is a must-have book for your library.

Read more about the book (and buy it for $24.95) at David Finck's web site.

— Christopher Schwarz

Robert Giovannetti – aka The Tattooed Woodworker – has just posted a lengthy and insightful interview with Thomas Lie-Nielsen, the founder of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. I've known Thomas for a long time and I learned quite a few things from the article.

You'll get answers to these interesting questions:

1. Why the company stopped making the No. 9 miter plane in bronze.
2. What are the new tools on the immediate horizon for the company.
3. Which tool in his line-up is "the most underrated."

Check it out here. It's a good read.

— Christopher Schwarz


Looking for More Woodworking Information?
• Sign up for our newsletters to get free plans, techniques and reviews HERE.
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• Like hand tools? Read all our online articles on hand work HERE.
• Want to subscribe to Woodworking Magazine? It's $19.96/year. Click HERE.

Here at Woodworking Magazine, we plan each issue in the same way we build furniture – to last forever.

Every issue is filled with techniques that have been tested by our own hands and by time. Every project has classic lines so they'll look as good in 100 years as they do today.

And so you can keep this information forever, we bind the issues into a handsome hardbound edition that will protect and preserve these articles for years to come. We're just about to receive our newest book, which contains Issues 8 through 12, and we're offering a special pre-order discount.

If you order the "Woodworking Magazine Hardbound Edition, Vol. II," by April 30, the price is only $19.99. That's 20 percent off the regular price of $24.99. To get the 20 percent discount, use this coupon code: WWMGV220.

The 192-page book contains issues 8 through 12 exactly as published. The text and photos are printed on paper that's heavy and bright. The book is hardbound with a red cloth cover with the magazine's name stamped in gold. Plus, there's a full-color dust jacket.

Here are some of the highlights from these five issues:

• The Holtzapffel Workbench. This 19th-century cabinetmaker's workbench features a wooden twin-screw face vise and a quick-release end vise. It is an ideal bench for dovetailing and building furniture.

• How to Use a Handsaw. Most people have difficulty sawing because they are using the wrong tool and the wrong technique. We explain the differences among the saws and the 10 techniques we use for accurate sawing.

• Better Ways to Build a Chest. When people build chests, they usually make it harder than it has to be. We explain a traditional technique to build chests that requires less wood, less work and less fussing.

• Test of Sliding Bevel Gauges. Most bevel gauges stink because they don't lock down hard enough. We review new and vintage bevel gauges and find the ones that work best.

Be sure to order before April 30 to get the discounted price. To get the 20 percent discount, use this coupon code: WWMGV220. Click here to order.

— Christopher Schwarz

If you'd like to do a little time traveling on your lunch hour today, I've got just the ticket. Head over to Gary Robert's Toolemera Press site and download (for free) "Charles Hayward Looks Back To The Seamy Side."

No, you won't get in trouble with your boss or your spouse. It's very much rated G.

These articles from 1981 and 1982 are Charles Hayward's recollections of shop life in England before 1914. Hayward, the legendary woodworking editor and author, wrote and illustrated many of the classic texts that still serve me today, including "Woodwork Joints" and "Tools for Woodwork." (Both are out of print but available used.)

But before he became an author, Hayward was an apprentice and a professional cabinetmaker in a colorful shop that built new furniture, performed repairs and made new furniture look like really old furniture (yes, that's a nice way of saying he made fakes).

The shop was populated by all manner of amusing characters, which Hayward describes in great detail. Plus there's a drunken girl fight, dangerous machine shops and snooty butlers.

It's a fun piece to read and probably will make you glad that:

1. You were not born as Pongo the shop boy.

2. That you do woodworking as a hobby, and not as a career in 1914 England.

Download the article (in pdf format) by clicking here.

— Christopher Schwarz


Looking for More Woodworking Information?
• Sign up for our newsletters to get free plans, techniques and reviews HERE.
• Looking for free articles from Woodworking Magazine? Click HERE.
• Like hand tools? Read all our online articles on hand work HERE.
• Want to subscribe to Woodworking Magazine? It's $19.96/year. Click HERE.

Robert Giovannetti of the Cherry Creek Woodworks blog (the guy with the Lie-Nielsen tattoo and a Schwarz-sized bench fetish) has done a nice interview with Ron Hock of Hock Tools.

Despite Ron's youthful appearance, I consider him to be one of the grandfathers of the recent explosion of custom toolmakers. Ron started his business by making plane blades for James Krenov's students. Then it grew into providing replacement blades for Stanley planes. In fact, one of the first things I did after I bought my first Stanley jack plane was to buy a Hock blade. It's good stuff.

In any case, you can learn lots about how Ron got started in the business and why he does what he does over at Cherry Creek. It's definitely worth a visit.

— Christopher Schwarz

Editor’s note: Joel Moskowitz is the owner of ToolsforWorkingWood.com, a long-time woodworker, tool collector and book collector. He has the largest woodworking library I’ve ever encountered. During the last few weeks, the magazine’s staff has been asking people for their lists of favorite woodworking books. The results have been very interesting – we’ve even encountered a few books we’re not aware of.

Below is Joel’s list. Well, actually a couple lists. Joel’s an over-achiever.

— Christopher Schwarz

Woodworking Books in Print

Here are some book lists. I know the second I send this off, I will think of other titles that should be included. It’s hard to limit yourself to 10 or 20 “Must Have Titles” on anything. Because I love books, I have hundreds of books in my collection. Some are a learning experience on every page, some are useless but popular in their day, and others are beautiful to look at, but turgid to read. The books listed below are at least a good place for anyone to start. I prefer information that isn’t dumbed down, so my favorites mostly are books that try to talk to me like an adult, expect I’m not an idiot and are comprehensive in professional technique.

This first list is of stuff in print that we mostly stock at ToolsforWorkingWood.com and I recommend to everyone.

"Whittling and Woodcarving" by E. J. Tangerman. My first book on woodworking and still one of my favorites. Best of all: Lots of the samples of carving come from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and are still on exhibit.

"The Encyclopedia of Furniture Making" by Ernest Joyce. I have an older edition but it’s a great overall resource on different approaches to making furniture the modern way. Great for figuring out the details of a design; that is, how to do stuff.

"Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment (New Edition), Vol. 1" by Chris Pye. Pye is a great writer and a master carver. The book is a wonderful read, inspiring and systematic.

"The Marquetry Course" by Jack Metcalfe and John Apps. The best book on learning marquetry that’s in print at the moment.

"Modern Practical Joinery" by George Ellis. I recommend this book for anyone doing restoration on architectural woodworking. Not as good as Hasluck, but at least it’s in print.

"Modern Cabinet Work" by Percy A. Wells & John Hooper. A recent reprint; it’s not as good as Bernard Jones, but it’s worth having.

"Dictionary of Woodworking Tools" by R. A. Salaman. Anyone who is even remotely interested in tools should have this book.

"Illustrated Cabinetmaking" by Bill Hylton. A (relatively) new book. I think the drawings are great and it covers a lot of modern-built stuff.

"Japanese Woodworking Tools" by Toshio Odate. The only book on Japanese tools in English worth having. It’s a classic. It explains tons of stuff, and I’ve had a hardcover edition since it came out.

"How to Construct Rietveld Furniture" by Reter Drijver and Johannes Niemeijer. If you like modern furniture that’s easy to build, you can’t go wrong here. It features 1920s modern furniture from the original drawings of a great designer. Simple, classic stuff. The stuff is a lot more comfortable than it looks.

Out of Print and Odd Books

The following books are out of print or expensive, but I think they are some of the best around for their respective subjects. I’ve left off a lot of favorites that are better known, such as Andre Roubo’s works, and included books that I found important to me – even if they’re not directly woodworking related. (I could generate another, different list: the most important books in the history of woodworking. And another list: the most important books on historical woodworking practice.)

"Building the Georgian City" by James Ayres. A tour-de-force that puts the entire construction and woodworking of the period in context.

"China at Work" by Rudolf P. Hommel. Really interesting from an anthropological point of view.

"The Complete Woodworker, Vol. 1" and "The Practical Woodworker, Vol. 2" by Bernard Jones. Probably the best books on hand tool practice out there. A recent reprint is out of print, but easy to get. Volume 1 is essential. Volume 2 is nice to have.

"Notes from the Turning Shop" and "Further Notes from the Turning Shop" by Bill Jones. Fun-to-read books that are very inspiring and can teach you a lot about getting stuff done. Jones is the last of the professional ivory turners and knows what he is doing.

"The Woodwright’s Shop" by Roy Underhill. Roy was a big inspiration for me.

"Marquetry" by Pierre Ramond. A fabulous book on marquetry. Not a great book for beginners, but it features tons of how-to details on advanced subjects.

"Watchmaking" by George Daniels. One of the best books on craft ever written. It makes you want to build a watch.

"Carpentry and Joinery" by Paul Hasluck. The best book ever written on architectural woodworking.

"Woodwork Joints," "Tools for Woodwork," "Carpentry for Beginners," "Cabinetry for Beginners," "Antique or Fake?" and "English Period Furniture" by Charles H. Hayward. Everything by Hayward is worth reading. These books are the core of everything you need to know about woodworking.

"Adventures in Wood Finishing" by George Frank. Well, it doesn’t really belong on this list but I enjoy reading and rereading this book all the time.

"Memories of a Sheffield Toolmaker" by Ashley Iles. Interesting historically, and especially inspirational and helpful if you are yourself starting a small business.

"The Museum of Early American Tools," "A Reverence for Wood," and "Diary of an Early American Boy" by Eric Sloane. These books were very informative and helped kick off my interest in history and woodworking when I was a boy, and they’re still engaging today. Wonderfully illustrated.

"In Praise Of Shadows" by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. I first read this book when I was in my 20s and thought it xenophobic, but when I met Toshio Odate many years later he said I should reread it. I did, and I think it is one of the greatest written appreciations of craft and how it calms our lives that there is.

— Joel Moskowitz