I can’t deny, there’s a part of me that never did stop getting excited about cool new toys. Over time that changed at some point from toy cars and LEGOs to power tools, chisels, planes, and all kinds of accessories. In the same vein though, there’s a

Improving your woodworking skills opens new possibilities for your projects. The same holds true for finishing. For the pine bookcase on page 58, we wanted to do a painted finish. It’s tempting to think of paint as a continuous coating on a project —

Dovetail joints have always been a favorite of mine. While there’s certainly more than a little know-how involved in routed dovetails, it’s the hand-cut kind that always grabbed my attention. I imagine it’s similar to why some people like to run for

Well-made drawers always bring a project to the next level. It’s rewarding to open a drawer and be greeted by a clean, locking rabbet joint, and there are a few things that transform a cabinet from a hunk of wood to a piece of furniture quite like an

Over the last 45 years, bookcases have been some of the most popular furniture projects we’ve featured in Woodsmith. As a result, there have been a lot of them. The designers, Chris, John, and Dillon, work at finding different approaches. John had th

Hand-crafted joints are always a thing of beauty. As a woodworker, I have a deep appreciation for the technical skill and understanding of the tools and materials one needs to make a clean joint by hand. Dovetails are often hailed as the pinnacle of

One of the most important aspects of a chisel is the edge. While we often mention how important it is to keep a good edge on your hand tools, it’s not often we stop to focus on the tools needed to get that job done. Here we’ll explore the specifics o

One of the first items my lovely bride and I purchased on our staycation honeymoon was a beat-up Hoosier cabinet. It was a shadow of the fine specimen you see here. But it was fitting for the apartment we had in the old, leafy part of town we lived i

One large joy that comes from woodworking is making something for someone else. It’s wonderful to see your work paid off with a smile. Of course, people aren’t the only ones who enjoy a shop-made gift. As the name implies, this castle was designed wi

There’s a quote from L. M. Montgomery (the author of Anne of Green Gables) that captures the scope and worth of a memory box: “Nothing is really lost to us as long as we remember it.” The memories we want to hold on to often run the gamut from grief

While Millicent Doyle’s dado tote (issue 268) is a traditional and simple design, I wanted something more expansive. With the dado tote you see here, each part of the dado set can be accessed individually without needing to unstack them. The tote is

A significant amount of time spent in the shop is used for marking and laying out workpieces that you’ll cut or drill with various tools. Here we’re going to take a peek at a few interesting tools for making those initial marks. A MINI CARPENTER SQUA

Screws are one of the most elementary pieces of hardware in woodworking. Although you’ve probably driven in more screws than you can count, the fastener aisle can still be daunting. For a long time, I simply bought Philips head woodscrews in whatever

For several summers, the kids in my neighborhood played croquet pretty much nonstop. The classic lawn game has the right balance of competition, strategy, and the unexpected to suit a variety of ages. The weak point was the discount store croquet set

There’s something particularly striking about using contrasting woods in a project. It’s more than mere color — the texture of the wood, the flow of the grain, and even the distinct sheen of some species. All this comes into play when choosing materi

My preferences for edge treatments lean toward the simple: roundovers and chamfers, curves and facets. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this means bland uniformity. There are times when a project calls for the crisp detailing and tight radii that w

Sometimes saying a little says a lot. Only a slight deviation from the norm can massively change the look and function of an object. In this bookcase the primary deviation is obvious: the angled boxes. It’s likely the first detail someone will notice

The ubiquity of a stack of drawers has been celebrated across time, cultures, and vocations. There’s a visceral appeal to taking such a small footprint and loading it with so much organizing potential. As the main photo reveals, this tower of drawers

Finding new tools for the shop is always a joy. You never know what could be the next game-changer. Of course, the cost investment can always put you on guard when you don’t know how useful a certain tool will actually be. That’s why I’ll be sharing

It all started around 1929 when Frank Mason and his son George, the owners of Mason Manufacturing Company, were approached by Barker Brothers furniture store to create a new line of furniture under the name “Monterey,” that would harmonize with all t

Part of the joy of turning is how quickly you can go from a block of wood to a completed project. Small projects on the lathe are ideal for gifts, too. Once you get the hang of one, it’s pretty easy to make multiples. Think of these tree ornaments as

Nothing brings people together quite like a good game. It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon — and an evening too, depending on the game in question. However, where to host the game is always an issue. Should we clear off the dining table, or al