Blog
Hands-on Teaching Tool
Here's a page from a forthcoming pamphlet I'm working on about the geometric truths that underlie--and led to the development of-- all our layout tools, including (basically end…
The Sector: For Free and For Sale!
If you haven’t heard of the sector, it probably means you aren’t an artillery officer or a ship’s navigator working in the 17th century! An invention attributed to…
Hand Tool Heaven—the Movie!
Check out Andrea's new animation work for our hand tool oriented courses at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. Hard to believe, but everything you see in the…
Not all Dimensions Have or Need Numbers
Unless I'm setting up a machine, I rarely go to numerical dimensions to set up cutlines. Instead, I either hold the stock directly to the required "magnitude" as…
Working to Plans… or not.
A wise woman once said, "Plans take all the fun out and make it seem like work". Eight years ago I stopped using plans. My idea was to…
Libella vs. Laser
Been thinking about the Libella lately...the ancient leveling tool. Would it be as accurate as today's laser levels? No, probably not. The precision of the laser would…
Special Plane from Across the Room
A visit to a retired shop teacher/avid boatbuilder locally yielded a look at this plane. I knew from across the room that there was something special about…
Thanks Theodorus
Theodorus of Samos of a very long time ago in the golden age of the Grecian Geometers: Where would we be without you? Historians attribute him with the…
Let the Log do the Talking
Here's my take on what to call the different lumber grading by end grain configuration. In my opinion, I say let the wood and the geometry provide the…
Best Joint in the Joint
It’s all about the joint. The best joint in the joint (or at least in the furniture piece you are building) is the joint that will…
