The Renaissance Woodworker

This time I make some panel clamps to make glue up easier. I use the hardware from Lee Valley to make one them devise my own homemade hardware and built 2 more.

Yep you read it right. I needed a flyswatter at the lumber yard so I went the typical woodworker route and split out some Hickory then shaved it for the perfect thing and flexible handle then cross laminated Maple, Oak, and Walnut veneers then finally created a fretwork rose pattern on the face. Y'know like you do.

Shannon is back now that his site update and product launch at the Hand Tool School are behind him. He is working on a Sapele inlaid plaque, a newly restored Jack rabbet plane, and preparing his classes for Woodworking in America.

If you have followed any of my blogs or podcasts for long you will know of my aversion to jigs and guides of any sort. But I wanted to be fair in my assessment and make sure that I put in some time with these dovetail guides by David Barron before jumping to a conclusion. I hope you will gain some insight from this review and find it to be a fair and balanced review.

This little stool is taken from the pages of Christopher Schwarz' book "Campaign Furniture". It is make from riven Teak with a Shellac and Beeswax finish. The hardware is from Lee Valley and the gorgeous leather seat is from TX Heritage Woodworks.

These simple to make pencil boxes are great to use up some scrap wood and use simple half lap joinery and a sliding lid. I add a few other things to spice them up but mostly they should be simple and unadorned to match the aesthetic.

When your project throws unusual angles at you don't panic. Creating a custom angle shooting board is as simple as keeping your off cuts.

In this video I drawbored the breadboard ends into place, smooth planed the entire table, then applied a varnish finish using EnduroVar by General Finishes.

If you are going to join a cooperative farm club and get fresh produce each week, you might as well pick it up in style with a hand made crate and vintage peach crate labels.

Preparing the project for the finishin then adding Enduro Var with my Earlex HVLP sprayer.

I share some tips for success with your smooth plane

I finish the construction of the display shelf in this episode by making shelf panels, adding back slats and gluing it all up.

In this episode I start the build of a simple display shelf made in Maple and designed for a customer.

Driving 1" of chisel into the wood to make a mortise is a bit too much like work. When the mortises get big or in odd locations, boring it out is the better choice. With a center line, it just got faster and easier.

Don't have a clamp big enough? Don't spend major cash on a new clamp but grab some rope and a stick.

These clocks have definite wow factor but are actually quite easy to make and are an excellent introduction to bent lamination techniques.

Using the grain of the wood to tell your story will turn your good piece into a masterpiece.

A straight blade to make curved profiles??? Madness! Not so much, just a quick way to make round overs with a block plane

This video discussed what I have found to be the single most effective adjustment you can make to dramatically improve your sawing accuracy