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Over the past few weeks we’ve been working on a set of custom dining chairs based on a Harvey Ellis design from 1903. Using quarter sawn white oak, this video gives you a glimpse into a bit of the process. Enjoy~

This week at the Unplugged Woodshop Toronto, we’re working on a set of Arts & Crafts dining room chairs for a private commission. The chairs are inspired by a Harvey Ellis design for Gustav Stickley. These chairs are typical of the form and are mortise and tenon construction. For a set of 6 chairs, that […]

Follow this link to download a pdf: https://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Workshop-Appliances-Shop-Bents.pdf “Working in a small woodshop can be a challenge when we’re forced to address storage issues, work space, an assembly area, sharpening station … the list goes on and on. I decided when I moved from my larger shop out East to my small space here in […]

https://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Workshop-Appliances-Winding-Sticks.pdf “The shooting board of ‘chute’ board is another one of these bench top appliances that you really shouldn’t be without. When I walk into a woodshop without one I’m astonished – why on earth wouldn’t you take an hour or two at best and with a small amount of wood and off-cuts make yourself […]

Whenever you make a sawcut in any woodworking project, follow it up with a quick joinery check. Use a reliable square and make sure everything looks good. it sounds strange but I see it all the time: People saw a joint and never bother to check to see if it’s square. Do this for all of […]

https://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Workshop-Appliances-Shooting-Board.pdf “The shooting board of ‘chute’ board is another one of these bench top appliances that you really shouldn’t be without. When I walk into a woodshop without one I’m astonished – why on earth wouldn’t you take an hour or two at best and with a small amount of wood and off-cuts make yourself […]

Exercise caution if you decide to use higher gram strengths of hide glue they may be stronger, but they have a much shorter working (or open) time, making them unsuitable for many joinery applications. There are many modern alternatives to traditional hot hide glue that can provide the appropriate working strength for furniture makers. We use […]

Using the reference face and edge for all of the required joinery throughout your projects is a good habit to get into. In theory, you should be able to reference your square off any of the surfaces if you were careful in the dimensioning process. But human error can creep into the equation and small discrepancies […]

READERS PROJECT I received a message from Nancy in Michigan last week and wanted to share it with you. Nancy recently completed her Sawyer’s Bench, using one of our UW Saw Bench Kits and following plans from my book, The Unplugged Woodshop. The saw bench looks amazing Nancy! Thanks again for sharing this with us~ […]

READERS PROJECT I received a letter from Rafael in Sao Paulo, Brazil this week and wanted to share it with you. Rafael recently completed building the Sawyer’s Bench, following the plans from my book, The Unplugged Woodshop. You did a great job on the saw bench Raf! Thanks again for sharing this with us; now […]