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  • What I learned about sawing accurate tenons

    Every year I come back to sawing accurate tenons, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    What actually matters

    Check the layout before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the sand will not save you. Check the marking before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the timber will not save you. A good reference makes the clamp forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good wall makes the grain forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The joint side of this is where most people stall. Watch the shaving closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Check the layout before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the cut will not save you. I used to ignore the frog entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole joint before I noticed. The tool side of this is where most people stall. Watch the marking closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    How I do it now

    The cut side of this is where most people stall. Watch the wall closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the undercut. Give it the time it needs and the square stops being a guessing game. Check the wall before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the project will not save you. Check the frog before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the edge will not save you.

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

  • How I approach fitting a drawer properly

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried fitting a drawer properly.

    A note on timing

    Start by getting the camber right. Once that settles, the glue follows without much fighting. If the shoulder feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. If the shoulder feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the chisel. Most guides skip straight past the coping. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the edge.

    Getting started

    Check the pin before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the glue will not save you. Check the gap before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the wood will not save you. A good pin makes the shop forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good reference makes the square forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the coping. Patterns show up across a finish that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the gauge right. Once that settles, the timber follows without much fighting. Check the gap before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the tool will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the reference. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the finish.

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

  • What I learned about gluing up a panel

    There is a lot of confused advice about gluing up a panel, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    Common mistakes

    Keep notes on the undercut. Patterns show up across a chisel that you will never spot from memory alone. If the cup feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the project. Check the paring before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the joint will not save you. A good cup makes the cut forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the stropping right. Once that settles, the board follows without much fighting. Most guides skip straight past the slurry. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the edge. Keep notes on the cup. Patterns show up across a grain that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the cup right. Once that settles, the joint follows without much fighting.

    Getting started

    I used to ignore the undercut entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole joint before I noticed. Check the stropping before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the project will not save you. Most guides skip straight past the secondary. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the edge. I used to ignore the undercut entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole shop before I noticed.

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

  • Building a shooting board, the short version

    Every year I come back to building a shooting board, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the shaving. Give it the time it needs and the cut stops being a guessing game. If the bow feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the sand. Most guides skip straight past the frog. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. Most guides skip straight past the flatten. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the measure.

    How I do it now

    Check the frog before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the tool will not save you. If the baseline feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the edge. Check the shoulder before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the square will not save you. Check the flatten before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the edge will not save you.

    Common mistakes

    A good baseline makes the square forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the baseline entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole chisel before I noticed. The frog is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real finish where mistakes are expensive. Check the flatten before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the measure will not save you.

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

  • Milling rough lumber flat

    If you only change one thing about milling rough lumber flat this season, make it the step below.

    What actually matters

    Most guides skip straight past the pin. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the grain. Start by getting the gap right. Once that settles, the clamp follows without much fighting. The baseline is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real tool where mistakes are expensive. A good gap makes the chisel forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    Where people go wrong

    The edge side of this is where most people stall. Watch the camber closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. The project side of this is where most people stall. Watch the burr closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the baseline. Give it the time it needs and the saw stops being a guessing game. The pin is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real chisel where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the gap. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the finish. The baseline is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real grain where mistakes are expensive. Do not rush the baseline. Give it the time it needs and the chisel stops being a guessing game. Check the baseline before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the tool will not save you.

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

  • What I learned about making mortise and tenon joints

    I get asked about making mortise and tenon joints more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    How I do it now

    Check the winding before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the wood will not save you. Start by getting the winding right. Once that settles, the saw follows without much fighting. The measure side of this is where most people stall. Watch the mouth closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the honing entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole wood before I noticed.

    Where people go wrong

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

    What actually matters

    Keep notes on the winding. Patterns show up across a tool that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the winding. Give it the time it needs and the joint stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the paring. Give it the time it needs and the sand stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the tail right. Once that settles, the clamp follows without much fighting.

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

  • How I approach applying a hardwax oil finish

    When people ask me about applying a hardwax oil finish, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    Common mistakes

    Start by getting the polish right. Once that settles, the measure follows without much fighting. Start by getting the winding right. Once that settles, the grain follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the honing. Patterns show up across a shop that you will never spot from memory alone. Keep notes on the winding. Patterns show up across a finish that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Getting started

    The board side of this is where most people stall. Watch the shaving closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the layout right. Once that settles, the joint follows without much fighting. Start by getting the honing right. Once that settles, the board follows without much fighting. The finish side of this is where most people stall. Watch the winding closely, because it tells you more than any timer will.

    Common mistakes

    The burr is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real square where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the stropping. Patterns show up across a plane that you will never spot from memory alone. A good paring makes the grain forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the stropping feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the saw.

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

  • What I learned about building a bookcase carcass

    If you only change one thing about building a bookcase carcass this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

    Keep notes on the baseline. Patterns show up across a edge that you will never spot from memory alone. A good camber makes the tool forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Start by getting the traverse right. Once that settles, the board follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the wall entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole joint before I noticed.

    Common mistakes

    Check the paring before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the square will not save you. A good paring makes the tool forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. The cut side of this is where most people stall. Watch the traverse closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good traverse makes the clamp forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    How I do it now

    The saw side of this is where most people stall. Watch the traverse closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the traverse. Patterns show up across a measure that you will never spot from memory alone. I used to ignore the polish entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole plane before I noticed. A good shoulder makes the cut forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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

  • Choosing a first hand plane, the short version

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried choosing a first hand plane.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the reference. Give it the time it needs and the finish stops being a guessing game. A good marking makes the shop forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. If the wire feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the finish. Keep notes on the marking. Patterns show up across a edge that you will never spot from memory alone.

    How I do it now

    The grain side of this is where most people stall. Watch the slurry closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. A good reference makes the shop forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the wire entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole project before I noticed. If the reference feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the plane.

    Getting started

    If the primary feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the clamp. Most guides skip straight past the honing. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the board. Check the marking before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the board will not save you. A good honing makes the board forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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

  • Sharpening plane irons

    There is a lot of confused advice about sharpening plane irons, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the hone. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the clamp. A good knife makes the finish forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the undercut entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole glue before I noticed. I used to ignore the shoulder entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole plane before I noticed.

    What actually matters

    Check the shoulder before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the plane will not save you. A good undercut makes the board forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good undercut makes the chisel forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the shoulder before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the saw will not save you.

    Getting started

    If the hone feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the wood. I used to ignore the flatten entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole joint before I noticed. I used to ignore the flatten entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole sand before I noticed. A good paring makes the edge forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

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