A Tribute to England
Here in the United States, much of our hand tool heritage comes from England. One of my customers was interested in a set of Dovetail Chisels but he wanted them to have octagonal handles which some...
View ArticleStory Time
Sometimes it is best to listen to the old timers. I am an engineer and precise measurements are my friend. A dial caliper is my measuring instrument of choice. But for this project I am putting all...
View ArticleHanging it up
It finally warmed up here in the Pacific Northwest, just in time for the end of summer! Happy Labor Day to you. After a short delay our chisel racks are ready to go. We are offering them in two...
View ArticleA visit to Port Townsend
This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, WA. I was a guest of The Port Townsend School of Woodworking founded by Jim Tolpin, John...
View ArticleHow to Sharpen a Marking Knife
It has been on "the list" for a number of years. I am not much of a video person and it seemed like a complicated task requireing all kinds of expensive equipment. So when Chris Schwarz pulled out his...
View ArticleIs there still Hope?
Wow, what a fall! I have been very busy and time has flown by. I did manage to grab a few spare moments to work on the Hope Chest project. I suspect that some of you struggle with keeping a project on...
View ArticleHope Springs Eternal
While the this blog has remained silent for many months, my shop has been quite busy. The noise of production machinery has dominated my hours but there have been the occasional soothing quiet moments...
View ArticleYou Know it's Spring in Oregon.....
You cannot count on the weather getting nice for spring here in Portland, Oregon. Sometimes it is warm, sometimes it is cold. It is almost always very wet. But you know it must be spring ...
View ArticleBack in the Shop Again
I had a few good days out in the shop and made some progress on the Hope Chest Project. The design calls for beads on the framework around each panel. The beads were added to ...
View ArticleComing Together
There are usually several milestones in a project that are moments of truth. I recently reached one of those moments. It was time to do a complete dry fitting of the frame assembly. I was ...
View ArticleI love Quilting
I really do enjoy fine, handmade quilts. The patterns and texture of fabrics carefully arranged into infinite varieties of patterns and the incredibly detailed stitching that hold them all together is...
View ArticleDrum Roll Please.....!
The time had come. After many hours of fitting and checking and fitting again I ran out of excuses. It was time for assembly. I decided to apply some finish to all of the inside ...
View ArticleTopping It Off
I seem to misplace things more and more lately, or maybe it just seems so. And when you simply cannot find something no matter how long you look, it is time ...
View ArticleThe Dog Days of Summer Sale
Sometimes after the flurry of summer activities, vacations and getting the kids off to new schools, it is a good time to take a little break. Time to relax on the deck ...
View ArticleDog Days Sale Update
The first listings of tools on sale during our first annual Dog Days of Summer sale sold out quickly. I will be posting more tools to the Specials section ...
View ArticleUpcoming Shows
I don't get out much. Don't get me wrong, I love to travel and see my friends and customers. However, being a small business and responsible for much of the day to day activities, ...
View ArticleOh, That Sweet Smell!
Some steps in a project are more enjoyable than others; some are downright fun! Such is the case of making tongue and groove panels from Port Orford Cedar. First a bit about ...
View ArticleMaking Drawers, Part 1
I have put off making drawers for the Hope Chest until near the end because I was not confident in my dovetailing skills. I have not had time to hone my skills ...
View ArticleDebutante
She is all dressed up now. Many hours have been spent primping and prepping. A little rough at first but with time, love and attention, her latent inner beauty is ready to ...
View ArticleMerry Christmas
I would like to wish everyone a blessed and joyous Christmas Season. It is my hope and prayer that we may all fully experience the true meaning of Christmas and that is ...
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