Next Saturday morning I will be giving a presentation about Arts & Crafts period furniture to the Cincinnati Woodworking Club. The club has been around for 40 years and this meeting will be held at the Edward Mueller Company, 101 … Continue reading
Category Archives: Woodworking Blog
As an author I don’t expect my readers to take my word as gospel. I believe I have a responsibility to point readers in the direction of my sources. Gustav Stickley’s “The Craftsman Magazine” has been an essential source (and … Continue reading
In the comments on my post:Â “Gustav Stickley Finishing Article” I was asked if I had a reasonable alternative to a fumed finish for quartersawn white oak. In that post I mention one, aniline dye followed by shellac. The other … Continue reading
My new book “Shop Drawings for Byrdcliffe Furniture” is featured in the July/August 2020 issue of Woodworker West magazine. Editor Ron Goldman got in touch with me recently and included a four-page essay about the book, and about my examination … Continue reading
The good thing about the internet is the access it provides to images and resources. Twenty years ago when I was working on my first book Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture, finding good images to use as references was a … Continue reading
Thank you for your interest in my new book “Shop Drawings for Byrdcliffe Furniture” and your support of my work.This is the only book that provides detailed information about furniture originally produced at the Byrdcliffe Colony in Woodstock, New York … Continue reading
I like to say that behind every good piece of furniture is a good story. The same is true for books. My first book “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” took about 20 years to go from idea to completion. My … Continue reading
Nineteen years ago I was finishing up my first book “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”. Along with the rest of the world the publishing business has changed significantly. Between then and now I’ve written several other books, spent ten years … Continue reading
It’s been an interesting summer to say the least. For the first time in years my wife and I planned a vacation; a two week trip to the island of Ibiza, Spain for the marriage of my son and his … Continue reading
Woodworking classes at Marc Adams School of Woodworking are supposed to be a challenge. That applies to the instructor as well as the students. One of the challenges this year was the passing of Zane Powell who kept students safe, … Continue reading
Click Here for an Update to This Story F+W Publications, Media, A Content & E-commerce Company, Community filed for bankruptcy protection on March 10, 2019. I would rather not be writing this post, but one of my pet peeves as an … Continue reading
I’m working on a new book project, but because I’ve been at this one for several years now it doesn’t feel so new. In any case I’m approaching the finish line (excerpt for figuring out how to publish it). I … Continue reading
A few times a year I teach woodworking classes. It’s good to spend time out in the real world with new people and with those who have been in earlier classes with me. I’m told I do a good job, … Continue reading
This spring I will be returning to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking for a week-long class on building a reproduction of the Gustav Stickley No. 369 bent arm Morris Chair. Of all the chairs of this type this is … Continue reading
And should editors of woodworking magazines practice psychology? Way back in 2006 I built a reproduction of the Byrdcliffe Sassafras Linen Press. The original lives in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and there are a … Continue reading
A recent discussion on WoodCentral led me to dig through some old photos to find an example of a great jig for cutting tenon cheeks on the table saw. If you’ve ever fiddled forever with a jig that rides in the … Continue reading
I haven’t posted much in the last few months. Excuse number 1 is we bought a new house and that house needed a new kitchen (note to self: don’t ever say “it’s a nice place, except the kitchen needs to … Continue reading
Note: This is another older post (from about 5 years ago) that sank to the bottom of this site’s feed. I’ve brought it back to the top because it’s a good (and easy and fool-resistant) way to make these joints. … Continue reading
Note: This post originally appeared a few years ago. One of the problems with online content is that good stuff drifts to the bottom. This is a good tip, so I’ve pushed it back to the top of the feed. … Continue reading
Note: This post originally appeared about 5 years ago. I think it’s pretty good so I moved it back up in the feed. Tearing an ugly hunk out of a nice piece of solid wood can be a heartbreaker. You … Continue reading
There is a lot to like about classes at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. The first time you visit you’re impressed by the size and scope of the facility. As a class goes on you realize how good the … Continue reading
I am pleased to announce that I have agreed to edit the 2018 edition of “American Period Furniture” the annual journal of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. This will be a refreshing change for me as the focus … Continue reading
I don’t teach woodworking classes very often, although I usually say yes when someone asks me to. The picture at left is from a series of blog posts written by one of the guys in my most recent class at … Continue reading
Last week I was at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking teaching a dozen woodworkers how to make a chair. Usually when I teach I write about the class ahead of time, but this was different from the norm. I … Continue reading
One of the ways to improve your woodworking skills has more to do with your mindset than your skill set. If you aren’t willing to do things you’ve never done before you won’t improve. That’s a simple concept, but it … Continue reading
I’ve been making stuff from wood for more than 40 years and I do better work now than I used to. (If you’re curious about my woodworking, you can find photos going way back at this link.) I’m not one … Continue reading
I was one of those kids who continually asked “why?” and I’ve never outgrown that. My mother taught me how to look things up and my dad, a card-carrying chemical engineer, taught me to weigh the results of anything I … Continue reading
Before Gustav Stickley became “The Craftsman” he manufactured furniture in upstate New York. After twenty-some years in the business, he took a trip to Europe, where the Arts & Crafts movement was popular in England and L’art Nouveau was a … Continue reading
The dado joint, a channel cut in one piece of wood that holds another piece of wood, is one of the bread and butter joints in woodworking. It isn’t as charming as a dovetail joint, or as manly as a … Continue reading
Early in my career I was told by the man who hired me “we’ll teach you to think like a cabinetmaker”. Apparently that worked, and since I’ve transitioned from full time woodworking to writing about woodworking, I feel compelled to … Continue reading
I will be teaching a class in building this cabinet on August 26 & 27, 2017 at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. Click Here for details. Along with an appreciation for good design, I’m also fond of the stories … Continue reading
Last night I spent a pleasant hour chatting with Lance Granum and Dave Damsen of the “This Old Workshop” Podcast. We talked about how SketchUp makes woodworking better (and why I’m convinced every woodworker should learn it), the 21st Century … Continue reading
It is like hoisting a danger signal to speak out loud to Mr. Stickley of ornament, yet all people do not know this. “It is very grand,” said one visitor, “but have you no ornament, carving or draperies in … Continue reading
Furniture from the American Arts & Crafts period is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many woodworkers assume that the deliberate lack of ornament means it is easy to build. One often overlooked feature is the visual effect of parallel surfaces that … Continue reading
The average woodworker doesn’t always use the best looking method to join two pieces of wood – he or she is happy just to get the face frame stuck to the cabinet side. That’s why these folks are “average”. The … Continue reading
I’m a stickler for getting the history of Craftsman furniture correct. Too much has been written about the people, dates, responsibilities and relationships of the original makers and designers that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. And a lot of these … Continue reading
Last fall I spent a week at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking near Indianapolis, Indiana, leading a group of woodworkers in the construction of reproductions of the iconic Gustav Stickley/Harvey Ellis No. 700 Bookcase. Marc Adams’ classes are always … Continue reading
I realize that this website is a mixed bag, but it is a reflection of what I do. I’m interested in many different things and old enough to be pretty good at several of them. As it’s time to get … Continue reading
I use watercolor pencils to add color to my carving work. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one to do this, but I’ve never seen any step by step description of the process. Here is a pictorial run though … Continue reading
Marc Adams School of Woodworking is a special place and I’ve been invited to teach a few classes at MASW in 2017. It is the largest woodworking school in the country with an incredibly well-equipped shop and an experienced staff … Continue reading