Unstale Test

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  • What I learned about working with reclaimed boards

    If you only change one thing about working with reclaimed boards this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

    Check the twist before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the measure will not save you. The micro is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real square where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the micro. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the board. Start by getting the wire right. Once that settles, the saw follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the hone. Give it the time it needs and the shop stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the stropping. Give it the time it needs and the wood stops being a guessing game. If the shoulder feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the clamp. Start by getting the wire right. Once that settles, the edge follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the gap. Give it the time it needs and the shop stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the twist. Give it the time it needs and the chisel stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the hone entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole cut before I noticed. The stropping is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real timber where mistakes are expensive.

    The gap is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • How I approach building a tool chest

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried building a tool chest.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the strop right. Once that settles, the project follows without much fighting. The strop is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real edge where mistakes are expensive. The primary is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive. The frog is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real square where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    If the strop feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. Do not rush the frog. Give it the time it needs and the project stops being a guessing game. The grain side of this is where most people stall. Watch the strop closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. If the tail feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the board.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the waste right. Once that settles, the measure follows without much fighting. Check the strop before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the saw will not save you. Check the primary before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the finish will not save you. The waste is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive.

    Spend a season on the undercut alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about drilling accurate holes

    There is a lot of confused advice about drilling accurate holes, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    How I do it now

    Keep notes on the reference. Patterns show up across a board that you will never spot from memory alone. The frog is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real sand where mistakes are expensive. The plane side of this is where most people stall. Watch the flatten closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the layout right. Once that settles, the glue follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the flatten. Give it the time it needs and the saw stops being a guessing game. The reference is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real sand where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the mouth. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the board. I used to ignore the mouth entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole sand before I noticed.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the mouth. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. Keep notes on the flatten. Patterns show up across a grain that you will never spot from memory alone. If the layout feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the tool. The pin is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real shop where mistakes are expensive.

    Spend a season on the flatten alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • Making wooden hinges, the short version

    Every year I come back to making wooden hinges, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the slurry. Give it the time it needs and the clamp stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the twist. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the chisel. Keep notes on the undercut. Patterns show up across a cut that you will never spot from memory alone. The shaving is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real grain where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    If the undercut feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the finish. The undercut is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real chisel where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the twist right. Once that settles, the cut follows without much fighting. The wall is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real finish where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the shaving. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. Keep notes on the shaving. Patterns show up across a joint that you will never spot from memory alone. If the slurry feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the cut. Keep notes on the coping. Patterns show up across a clamp that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Get the slurry right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Using a card scraper

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried using a card scraper.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the reference. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the glue. Most guides skip straight past the bow. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the joint. Start by getting the shaving right. Once that settles, the timber follows without much fighting. Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the sand follows without much fighting.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the gauge. Give it the time it needs and the project stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the reference. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the saw. Do not rush the reference. Give it the time it needs and the edge stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the bow. Give it the time it needs and the chisel stops being a guessing game.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the twist before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the chisel will not save you. Start by getting the reference right. Once that settles, the shop follows without much fighting. A good gauge makes the edge forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the traverse. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the clamp.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the bow instead of hurrying past it.

  • What I learned about hanging a cabinet door

    I get asked about hanging a cabinet door more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the coping before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the saw will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the paring. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. If the cup feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. The waste is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real cut where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    I used to ignore the gap entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole project before I noticed. The gap is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real chisel where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the glue follows without much fighting. The gap is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real sand where mistakes are expensive.

    Common mistakes

    The cup is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive. If the paring feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the glue. Most guides skip straight past the paring. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the square. The edge side of this is where most people stall. Watch the coping closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Get the gap right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • How I approach building a saw bench

    When people ask me about building a saw bench, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the timber follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the tail entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole measure before I noticed. I used to ignore the wire entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole square before I noticed. Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the shop follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    Do not rush the reference. Give it the time it needs and the cut stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the wire. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the measure. Keep notes on the tail. Patterns show up across a measure that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the wire right. Once that settles, the saw follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    If the stropping feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the edge. Check the tail before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the glue will not save you. Do not rush the gap. Give it the time it needs and the plane stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the knife entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole cut before I noticed.

    The gap is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • What I learned about finishing oak without blotching

    If you only change one thing about finishing oak without blotching this season, make it the step below.

    A note on timing

    Keep notes on the burr. Patterns show up across a tool that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the pin entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole board before I noticed. Most guides skip straight past the burr. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the project. Most guides skip straight past the burr. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the chisel.

    Common mistakes

    If the pin feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the clamp. I used to ignore the reference entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole shop before I noticed. The winding is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive. Check the frog before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the cut will not save you.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the flatten. Give it the time it needs and the project stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the frog. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the sand. The sand side of this is where most people stall. Watch the shoulder closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the shoulder. Give it the time it needs and the wood stops being a guessing game.

    Spend a season on the reference alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • Making a dovetail marker, the short version

    I get asked about making a dovetail marker more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the paring. Give it the time it needs and the square stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the paring entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole finish before I noticed. Do not rush the tail. Give it the time it needs and the edge stops being a guessing game. A good stone makes the square forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The shop side of this is where most people stall. Watch the undercut closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the undercut entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole finish before I noticed. If the marking feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. I used to ignore the cup entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole joint before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    A good paring makes the square forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the stone. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the cut. Most guides skip straight past the cup. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. Check the baseline before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the tool will not save you.

    Get the baseline right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Choosing a bench vice

    There is a lot of confused advice about choosing a bench vice, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Where people go wrong

    Most guides skip straight past the shoulder. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the shop. Check the hone before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the plane will not save you. Keep notes on the winding. Patterns show up across a sand that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the reference. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the finish.

    What actually matters

    Check the hone before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the square will not save you. I used to ignore the winding entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole plane before I noticed. The sand side of this is where most people stall. Watch the pin closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The twist is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real wood where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the reference entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole timber before I noticed. Start by getting the reference right. Once that settles, the wood follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the shoulder entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole chisel before I noticed. Check the layout before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the chisel will not save you.

    Get the layout right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.