while there is a general obsession today with doing everything freehand (something i have never understood in the slightest), i am a woodworker who loves absolute perfection, precision and the guarantee of success. so i use guides, jigs and mounts to get predictable results with my cutting, paring and drilling.… Read More »one drill, one guide

given recent events, it would be negligent if i didn’t talk about gun violence. but i am beyond tired of this becoming a political topic and i think if we’re going to talk about it we have to talk about it in a far more causal way and stop simplifying… Read More »schools on fire

let’s talk about sand. it’s a beautiful, sunny day and you’ve spent the morning dreaming of sunbathing, swimming and the joy of bikinis. or not. i mean, it’s october and i’m stuck in the sixth ring of hell — northern europe in fall as the arctic ice melts and the… Read More »take your table to the beach

i’m often accused of being anti-tradition. i’m not. i’m just anti-useless-tradition. if we’re going to do something the way it was done in the past, it has to still be relevant for the future. for example, it’s not a useful treatment for the flu to cut open your body and… Read More »epistolary verse

actually, let’s talk about a very specific hole — the hallowed mortise. we can talk about tenons at some point but those are really easy. and i always thought digging holes in (or through) pieces of wood was something rather basic. but i have, after years of being a teacher,… Read More »let’s talk about your hole

i’ve loved reading woodworking magazines since i was a kid. actually, i’ve loved reading instructional magazines in general — fine woodworking, popular mechanics, national geographic, popular science, pc magazine… you name it, i was always excited when a new issue came out. now the rise of the internet has turned… Read More »words and wood