Friends:
Tomorrow, we release the newest tool from Compass Rose. It's an exciting time around here.
I thought it would be fun to give you a little teaser. Here's a (deliberately) tiny detail from the product. Any guesses on what it is?
I would like to say you'll never guess, but you all have surprised me before. One hint: we invented this tool, so it has a tr...
2024-03-15 13:30:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
In the recent discussion thread where I asked you to suggest video topics, several of you mentioned that you're interested in my #shorts content, but you don't like shorts. (I sympathize.) A few people wanted to see a bunch of shorts edited together in a "...
2024-03-09 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I've had many requests to review the Rali line of handplanes. Rali is a Swiss company known for their space-age hand tool designs and use of novel materials. So far, they have mostly produced tools in a European style, but they recently introduced the 260 Handplane with British/American styling. I had to test it.
This plane is packed with innovative features so there'...
2024-03-02 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week's video is unusual for several reasons.
First it's extra-long for Patrons. My friend Rob came to the shop and we got a little closer to making a chair. We used drawknives, my shave-horse, and my froe and talked about wood grain. We made plans for the next phase of chair-making. Your video includes an extra section on chair styles and history. 2024-02-24 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
On Monday morning, I had a simple plan: come back from COVID with a brief, useful video on an under-used joint. I was going to do 10 minutes on the humble half-lap joint, be done by Tuesday night, and start on the next thing.
Well, that didn’t work out.
As I cut the joints and shot the video, more ideas just kept coming up. I eventually thought of 4 variations of th...
2024-02-17 12:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I'm recovering from Covid....slowly. It's been 2 weeks and I'm just starting to feel normal. People talk about "Covid fatigue" and they're not kidding. I haven't had symptoms for a week, but I've still been glued to the couch. Needless to say, I didn't make a video this week.
Instead, I would like to highlight a young woodworker who deserves more attention. Fran...
2024-02-10 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Just last week, I had a MASSIVE oak log delivered to my shop on the coldest, iciest day of the winder. Getting it out of the truck and into the shop was an adventure and I was lucky enough to capture it all on video!
Of course, I got the log for greenwood chair making and I'll be pursuing that with my friend Rob, who is featured in this video. We're hoping to br...
2024-02-03 12:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Welcome back for the start of 2024! We hope everyone had a nice holiday. We did and we used our break time to set up some BIG things for the coming year.
Let's get 2024 started right with an introduction to blacksmithing. Woodwork and iron work go together like chocolate and peanut butter. If you can do some metal work, you can make your own tools or forge the h...
2024-01-27 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Well, it's taken a bit longer than expected, but we're finally done with the last video of the year!
Our final video is a complete history of Stanley handplanes (in about 15 minutes). Many people go to eBay to look for planes and get discouraged when they see vintage planes for $200 or more!!
Of course, these super-expensive planes are highly co...
2023-12-22 17:30:01 +0000 UTC View PostFriends:
I regret to say that my wife's mother took a bit of a fall and cracked a vertebrae in her neck. It's not as bad as it sounds...but it's not good. My wife is right now flying to be with her family and help get her mother settled in the rehab facility.
As you can imagine, the situation has delayed video production. Our final video of the year will be coming out We...
2023-12-16 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's new tool day! No, we didn't buy a new tool; we invented one. The Compass Rose No-Mod Planing Stop is a drop-in addition to your existing workbench. Just pop it in your vise, tighten, and you're ready to go.
We know lots of people who w...
2023-12-09 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's been a long road, but we've finished our first ever Patron Scholarship! In today's exclusive video, I award the grants to eight dedicated students of the craft.
Please join me in congratulating the recipients. Everyone who applies was very deserving and my only regret is that we didn't have any more money to give.
Thanks to everyone who pa...
2023-12-07 00:27:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Yes, all us creators do a Gift Buying Guide at the holidays. I get so many questions about affordable tools, that it made sense to do a video. I also focused on gifts that your friends and family can buy YOU. So find a subtle way to play this video while someone else is in the room. Put it up on the big TV. "Misplace" your headphones and turn the volume up a little. You can...
2023-12-02 12:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I often make videos about woodworking on a budget, but there’s another scarce resource: time. Many of us don’t have the time we need to practice key skills, finish projects, and keep our workspace tidy. You might think I have tons of time to make stuff, but I don't. Running this business keep me very busy and I’m often squeezing my woodworking into stolen moments between me...
2023-11-18 12:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We're hard at work on our next course: Restoring the Vintage Plane in Real Time.
Just like the title says, it's a full restoration of a Stanley No 5 in real time, with nothing left out and very few edits. The course is super-detailed and will be several hours long. I'm really excited about it.
Today, we're sharing Chapter 3: Clea...
2023-11-11 12:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
There's always a lot of workbench talk around the internet. People have ideas...or they just repeat stuff other people have said. Recently, I've seen videos claiming that you can't build a good workbench out of 2x4s (tell that to Paul Sellers).
Many of the naysayers make valid points: 2x4s are made from younger trees, they're wetter, and they're more likely to c...
2023-11-04 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I'm a well-known anti-gadget guy. I hate specialty tools and I hate seeing people waste their money on dumb stuff. So I wasn't sure what to think about the new Reed Planes Chamfer Kit . Was this a useless gizmo or a valuable addition to the shop?
There's only one way to fin...
2023-10-28 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Last week, we learned to use a traditional sawbench for all those big, awkward cuts. But you can't use a sawbench until you build one. So today, we're going to build BOTH the English and the Swedish (not really Swedish) sawbenches.
Both builds are approachable and beginner-friendly and both use common lumber. Heck, I bet many of you already own the wood. So grab...
2023-10-14 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We've completed the fundraising and we're ready to start getting Scholarship applications!!! This video gives you everything you need to know about submitting an application, the timeline, and the judging.
The Application Thread on the forum is right here 2023-10-12 14:56:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We're really happy to deliver this huge, 32-page set of plans for FREE! It's the least we can do for our amazing audience. The build video is nearly done. It will be a long one with Patron Tips just for this community. Look for that on Saturday.
I think the scholarship applications will open tomorrow. We're just about done with the...
2023-10-10 16:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today's video was months in the making. Sawbenches are invaluable in the shop, but there's a lot to know about making and using them. Next week, we're going to build BOTH the benches in this video. But first, we need to learn how to use them.
Today, we're looking at a bunch of labor-saving ways to use a saw bench. I'll cover technique, ergonomics, and speed. You'll do...
2023-10-07 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Months ago, a member of our community offered to lend me a Bridge City Dual Angle Bench Plane to review. I was very excited. I really like fancy planes.
But the reality of this plane was...sobering. It wasn't at all what I expected. I won't spoil the video here, but there were many surprises, and some of them weren't good
Hope you enjoy his rare look at an upper...
2023-09-30 11:00:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Did you buy a card scraper to support the Patron Scholarship? Awesome!
Now what?
In today's exclusive video, I'll show you a variety of techniques for getting that scraper to take fine shavings and leave a silky su...
2023-09-27 13:44:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We’re excited to announce our first-ever Patron Scholarship . We’re giving out multiple $300 awards to any Forum Member who wants to grow their craft skills.
As I said in the video, I’m kicking off the fundraising with a $500 contribution and we have 3 ways that you can contribute to the Scholarship fund:
1.) Join the new Scholars ti...
2023-09-20 14:03:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week, a brief trip into my other great love: iron-work! Many of you have requested more blacksmithing content, especially for beginners. What's the best place to start? Hammers, of course.
I bought two of the most popular affordable rounding hammers and put them to the test. I modded them to improve their shape and then forged a project. The results w...
2023-09-16 11:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
The wait is over! After nearly 2 months of design, building, and editing, the Spring Pole Lathe is complete. This was a big project with a massive learning curve and many challenges. The lathe was far harder than I expected, but I also came up with some innovative features and techniques that you can use on your own lathe build.
It's all here for you, including ...
2023-09-09 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This post was supposed to happen on Saturday the 2nd, but I got the dates mixed up. Sorry about that; I'm dyslexic and I have trouble with numbers sometimes. Here's the original post:
We're back from our hiatus! It was a restful few weeks and the first real vacation I've taken in years. Thanks to everyone who encouraged us to take a break.
Friends:
Ahead of our upcoming video on my Spring Pole Lathe I have a little video review on how the thing actually works. We will cover the build in detail, but I wanted to give everyone some crucial early insights. There are a couple of mistakes that will ...
2023-08-12 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
You all know I was in CT last month for family stuff, but I snuck in some filming time with a fascinating corner cabinet in my brother's house. (Big thanks to my brother and his family for letting me shoot in their living room).
The piece is wonderful and tells an engrossing story about period furniture, problem solving, and the mysteries of the old objects in o...
2023-08-05 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today, we hit the road to harvest green oak. I found a nice tree that had fallen and been conveniently sawn into sections...but it was still too heavy to lift. So I went out with splitting wedges and other tools and split those logs into smaller parts. Splitting preserves the continuous fibers and leaves the wood usable for chair making and other activities.
If ...
2023-07-22 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post