Blog
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The Degree to Which Your Angle Lies
Here’s an old school carpenter’s (or landscaper’s) method of laying out a line--such as a foundation form or a hedge row--to a specified angle. The tools needed are…
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Handmade Tools for By Hand and Eye
I am now taking orders for try squares and straightedges as shown in the photo above. I make and true these tools completely by hand from carefully selected and…
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Traditional Joiner’s Chest Fundraiser
FYI: The chest sold at auction at eBay for $3650. Maybe I'll just have to make another one this winter! I just finished up work on this…
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Hexagoned!
We (and our kids) have all been inoculated with enough Geometry during middle school to "know" the Pythagorean theorem. You know, the one that enables us to rattle…
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Plumbing a Masonic Medal Mystery
Amongst this collection of Masonic "Past-Master's Jewels" medals, two show a representation of the pythagorean theorem. It is reported that its presence on the owner's medal indicates…
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Mini-Straightedge for the Drawing Table
Spent the weekend after Thanksgiving making up a batch of mini-straightedges (16-in. long) for using at the drawing board. I'm using old-growth, perfectly vertical grain Douglas fir from…
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From Point to Poem
I recently enjoyed a phone call from retired engineer and gifted woodworker Garrett Smith who wanted to tell me how the ideas in By Hand and Eye had…
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Tour of Jim’s Handtool-Only shop
Lot's of folks have been asking for a more in-depth look at my little backyard shop...all 196 square feet of it. So here it is. Sorry for the…
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Eyeball Your Bevel Angle?
Some time ago Chris Schwarz of Lost Art Press mentioned an old-school tradesman trick for eyeballing the standard bevel angle on a plane or chisel blade. Basically, if…
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Old-School Board Stretching Trick
In the process of building the sliding till for a tool chest (which was started by Chris Schwarz and will be auctioned off when I'm done with it…