Staff Writer

Growing up in rural South Carolina, I used to watch my grandfather build cabinets. The family tradition of building continued with my father. Determined to follow my own path, I worked as a pipe welder and later pursued two advanced degrees. By then I had drifted away from cabinetmaking. Years later, my wife asked me to restore a wood cradle for our granddaughter. I ended up building two more … [Read more...]

Max Brosi, an Irish woodturner is more than just a craftsman. He is also an innovator, a deep thinker and an artist. His journey into woodworking started in early childhood as he started carving walking sticks, and learning how materials can be worked on. After getting formal education in woodworking, Max started his own business, merging his two passions of surfing and woodworking into one, by … [Read more...]

There was a wooden plank that sat at the edge of the bay in along the water where i visited. I loved the way that it looked, and I just wanted to save it from the elements. The water was damaging it slowly and so was the weather, so I finally go it moved, even though it wasn't easy, and was able to nurture it until it took the shape of a whale. Not exactly like a whale, but roughly the same shape, … [Read more...]

Yellow woodworking glue has been used for a long time in wood working to bond wood to get wood working done. There is a much better glue that wood workers will have a better time with and it is called Unibond. This unique glue holds a lot better, and doesn't slide around when you are trying to bond two things together. It also leaves much cleaner lines, the lines don't move around and hold the … [Read more...]

Anybody who is familiar with old furniture, knows that furniture needs proper care to slow down deterioration. There are things that happen to wood even when they aren't exposed to the elements, like rain or sun, over time, wood can still have issues. Like, it can start to crack or split. There is nothing you can do to prevent it, but there are things that you can do to slow it down. Humidity, for … [Read more...]

Folding bookshelves may not be what we today call portable, but were common among the travelers of the 19th century. It was the easiest way to take your books with you, on a journey where the size of the luggage was not the biggest concern the traveler had. Despite the first impression, building the folding bookshelf is not a simple project, but as you progress, the challenges will unfold right in … [Read more...]

Today on Chat Chat number 8 they talk specifically about a chair they got their hands on. While the specific details of the past owners are not known, we know that this is a 19th century primitive Welsh ash low back style chair. Rudy remarks on the small size of the chair being 29 cm. They talk about how the chair is the size for children but that it could be a creepie chair meant for decoration … [Read more...]

Everybody loves building something with their own hands out of wood, even if you have never done it, you are probably interested in doing so. Making new things out of wood is something anybody can do and is probably a lot easier to do than you think. Professionals and amateurs alike can use a jigsaw, but you will want to make sure it is versatile enough to use on any project you're planning on … [Read more...]