Blog > Artisan Geometry

Sector Madness!

From top to bottom:  The first sector I made to demonstrate whole-number divisions; my three-scale paper version; a solid wood and brass sector by burn-Heart   I first…

Does this Entasis Make Me Look Fat?

Well no, dear, the curvaceous tapering just makes you look muscular. Or maybe it's just an optical illusion. Or maybe the builders knew that the swelling, though slight,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Fractions in a fraction of the time

Here’s a page from a forthcoming book I’m working on about the core geometric truths (first principles) that underlie–and led to the development of– all our layout tools,…