I just received a letter from Richard Maguire in the UK and thrilled to report he has joined the online blogging community with his new blog The English Woodworker. You may remember seeing a guest blog here last year about one of Richards incredible workbenches….
After seeing her big brothers magic wand we made last week, my 5 year old daughter Piper decided she needed a little magic of her own. We followed the same basic steps, from spokeshave to sandpaper, saw to finish. She chose an off-cut of aromatic…
As you probably already know I’m a huge fan of sketching…by sketching I mean with a pencil on paper! But that is only the first step I take when designing custom furniture. I find that once ideas are quickly captured on paper, it can be…
My seven year old son Nelson, recently watched the final part of the Harry Potter movies. He’s a bit of a book worm to say the least and ever since watching the series, he has been determined to make a magic wand. Yesterday, we spent…
Well it seems the heat wave we’ve been having here in Ontario is finally ending and temperatures are going back to the normal seasonal range. Winter to summer is starting to feel like the norm around here. I took this picture in the back yard…
I recently volunteered on my sons Grade 2 class visit to the ROM and a funny thing happened. The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is a spectacular way to spend a day if you’re ever in Toronto. The big-draw no doubt are the dinosaur displays but…
My last post was written with a light heart- this one isn’t. It’s always hard to say goodbye so instead I’ll say thank you. Thank you for 12 years of love, loyalty and constant companionship. Waiting for me after endless hours in the wood shop,…
I really don’t know what all the fuss it about- saws with automatic stopping mechanisms and the like. Not to brag but my antique Disston has been equipped with this so-called ‘new technology’ ever since I got it. Yesterday, while ripping some maple my thumb…
So some wood shop essentials eh? Jack plane- check. Panel saw-check. 24-in. steel rule-check. Waxed line-hmmm…?? A few years ago my Father-in-law gave me a spool of waxed line. I started using it for dry fits and other jigs and set ups around the wood…
