there are words and phrases that tell you, regardless of the subject, you’re talking to someone who makes furniture. we don’t talk about “portable” — it’s “knockdown”. we don’t “trim” when we can “pare” or “resurface” when we can “finish”. nothing’s “sharp” until it’s “screaming-sharp”, “scary-sharp” or even “sharp-sharp”. but… Read More »rings within rings

the foundation of buddhist thought is the idea of oneness. it’s so central, it’s often just called “the truth” or “the law” and it’s been described in various ways by myriad teachers. the heart sutra, when poorly-translated to english (as it usually is) calls it “emptiness” and makes everyone confused.… Read More »oneness

everyone’s heard of the festool domino. i think it’s an awesome tool but i don’t own one. i’ve used it and it’s fantastic and in my new shop, i expect it will be one of the first things i acquire — though when i will be able to build my… Read More »tenons looser than your morals

i’m ace. nice to meet you. of course, when people say that you probably just smile and nod and assume they’re informing you they’re somewhere in the panoply of queerness that encompasses a huge portion of modern society. and in a way i guess that’s probably the case. but asexuality… Read More »what the fuckless?

you want to cut a groove. a stopped groove. awesome. it’s a fundamental skill but often becomes one you start getting into specialty tools and complex approaches to make happen. but none of those things is necessary or, in many cases, even wise. there have been so many discussions online… Read More »(stop) getting groovy with it

you know i love paring guides. this isn’t news if you’ve read any of my articles about sawing or chiseling basics. my view is simply this — if you pick up a tool and you’re not using a guide, you’re risking an imperfect result. if the result doesn’t matter (if… Read More »a dovetail in a pair tree