In the comments on my post: “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
Category Archives: Woodworking How To
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
Special Price on two books “The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker” and “SketchUp for Kitchen Design” scroll down to purchase. If you’re considering remodeling your kitchen, you’re not alone. It’s a great way to make your home more enjoyable, and a new … 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
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 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
In the early 1900s Gustav Stickley had one of the most modern, best equipped furniture factories in the world. If you are as nerdy as I am about this stuff, you should get your hands on a copy of The … Continue reading
Making jigs (and writing about making jigs) is a popular topic. So popular that some woodworkers (and some authors) spend so much time creating jigs that they never accomplish much of anything else. I’m not one of those guys. I’m … Continue reading
One of the curious things about woodworking is that you don’t really know how thorough to be in one step until you are knee-deep in the next. With experience you develop a routine and can move along efficiently. Without experience … Continue reading
This post is adapted from my book “Bob Lang’s Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker”. The book details reasonable options to enable readers to make decisions that make sense for them. Good information about hanging cabinet doors is hard to find, and I … Continue reading
This post is adapted from my book “Bob Lang’s Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker”. The book details reasonable options to enable readers to make decisions that make sense for them. Good information about hanging cabinet doors is hard to find, and I … Continue reading
One of the fundamental skills of woodworking is sharpening, and the often seen recommendation to use a jig plays to one of the fundamental character traits of most woodworkers. If you can sell a beginning woodworker on the idea that … Continue reading
Jigs and templates are common in professional woodworking shops, as well as common topics in woodworking books, magazines and blogs. A good jig will do two things; make the work better and get the work done faster. If you … Continue reading
Before I start most projects, I kill half an hour or an hour making a full-size layout on a piece of scrap wood. This can be a simple stick, as shown in the photo, or it can be a full … Continue reading
One of the most common questions asked about building pieces from my Shop Drawings Books is “What do I do about the cushions? Your drawings don’t show any details.” There were several methods used in the original Stickley pieces, and … Continue reading
This post is adapted from my book “Bob Lang’s Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker”. You can buy a signed copy of the revised edition from our store. Few things are more terrifying to many woodworkers than hanging a door on butt hinges. … Continue reading
Almost every task in woodworking comes down to cutting to a line. If you can cut to a line consistently and accurately, you can build anything. There are any number of ways to do it, and the more methods you … Continue reading
Although hand-hammered copper is often thought of as the definitive handle on a Stickley drawer, wood pulls were common on original pieces, often in a pyramid shape. I’ve seen people jump through all kinds of hoops to make these with … Continue reading
A reader had an interesting question; “How would you build or put leaves (mounting) in the 599 dining room table? ” The great thing about trestle tables, such as the L & JG Stickley No. 599 (sometimes referred to as … Continue reading