Friends:
We just re-posted a classic video with some new special effects (it's right here if you missed it).
The lightning effects in that video were difficult and we're very proud of them. Today, Nate takes you into the editing process so you can see all the detailed work that m...
2023-07-15 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Several months ago, we posted a video about a MASSIVE multi-channel plane restoration that James Wright organized with a bunch of big creators like Uri Tuchman and Hand Tool Rescue. Well, that project is done and we're all releasing the videos on Saturday.
Now, you've already seen this video, BUT we added a new special effects sequence where I pretend to us...
2023-07-13 19:53:46 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's free plans day! Today, we're releasing the CT Bench Plans and the Nailed Furniture Bundle and all of that is FREE to Patrons. The plans are attached to this post and of course, they're on the Plan Archive.
Your support allows me to tackle these more unusu...
2023-07-12 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It took a bit longer than expected, but I just finished the Connecticut Bench from my recent Furniture Forensics video. The build should have been quick and easy....which is the first clue that it's going to be long and frustrating.
This "simple" nailed bench was pretty ...
2023-07-08 11:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week, something a little different. We're going back over some of the build videos and re-cutting them with music and no talking. Some people just like to zone out and see something get built.
We tried using YouTube stock music for these videos, but it was terrible and I went looking for something better.
Right away, I reached out to Adam Hinkel, a Patron who man...
2023-06-24 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Several weeks ago, I did a Furniture Forensics about the little bench I found in my parents' barn. I said I was going to build it, and I've been chipping away at that project ever since. Yesterday, I finally knocked it together and I'm pretty pleased.
It looks simple, but don't b...
2023-06-20 14:55:38 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
It's been a heck of a month and we all need a little break. Instead of a regular video, we have a blooper reel that we've been holding for a special occasion.
Usually, I narrate videos quickly and smoothly. But sometimes, it all goes wrong and I spend a day fumbling through my lines and obsessing over meaningless details. The video for the Router Plane kit was t...
2023-06-17 11:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today, you get the first look at the newest tool from Compass Rose Toolworks: the "Ready-Set" Planing Stop.
I'm a huge advocate for the toothed, steel planing stop. It's far faster and more efficient than a tail-vise and it helps you develop better control over your...
2023-06-10 11:00:59 +0000 UTC View PostFriends:
With great regret, I must cancel Green Wood Live. My mother recently had emergency heart surgery and suffered significant complications afterwards. After nearly six weeks in the hospital, she was just released to a residential rehabilitation facility where she will be for weeks, or possibly months.
While I live in Ohio, my parents are in Connecticut, and I’ve been driving...
2023-06-05 16:23:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
By popular demand, I'm back with another entry into the Tool Stories series. This week, a Scottish infill smoothing plane that is (unbelievably) home-made.
Craftsman-made infill planes were actually quite common at the end of the 19th Century, and this one is an especially good example. From the cast gunmetal body to the exquisite walnut infill to the owner's ma...
2023-06-02 14:28:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This week: details.
As you learn to use your tools, you focus on smaller and smaller things. At first, you might struggle just to get a shaving, but you clear that hurdle and you start to think about fine-tuning that shaving to get the surface you want. Often, the waste from our tools tells us important things.
I don't usually talk about pla...
2023-05-20 11:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Here are the plans for the recent Simple Moravian. We're really proud to make this form as accessible as possible with this stripped-down version.
We hope you give it a try!
--Rex
PS: i'm still out of town visiting family; please excuse my late replies to messages and comments.
2023-05-17 11:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Everyone seemed to enjoy my Moravian stool build, but I know that a lot of people aren’t ready to tackle that sliding dovetail. Well, good news: there’s a simpler version of this stool that’s equally traditional and still has the same charm and style as the more difficult version. With a few softwood scraps and a pile of screws, you can make your own Moravian in less time a...
2023-05-13 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
A few weeks ago, I found myself back home in CT attending to a medical situation. I had a bit of downtime and got to poking around in the old carpenter's shop. There I found a pair of fascinating old benches. They were somewhat in the style of the iconic "5 Board Bench" but also...not. These benches had a lot of distinctive details and a regional style that I had never seen...
2023-05-06 11:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
As I mentioned in my last video, I'm doing a LIVE sharpening class on zoom with James Wright and Anne Briggs.
The class is Wednesday, May 24th @ 8:00 PM, EST.
The class goes on sale today at 2:30, but Patrons get everything early. You also get a deep discount: 30% OFF the course AND the after-hours hangout. Not only is thi...
2023-04-27 11:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We're doing an EXTRA video this month and we're tackling a tricky restoration: forged, laminated plane irons. Most of us will run into one of these irons at some point and they're very different from the old Stanley irons you might be used to. This comprehensive restoration will help you fix up that rare infill or vintage wooden plane.
The sharpening cla...
2023-04-22 11:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Many of us buy our tools used, and chisels are an especially good deal on the used market. Unfortunately, there are LOTS of weird and specialized chisels out there. Many of these tools look cool, so we buy them without thinking....and then find out they aren't very useful.
I've been there and I'd like to save you the trouble.
In that spirit, I humbly...
2023-04-15 11:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
We're delighted to bring you the FREE plans for the Moravian Stool. Along with the video, these plans will give you all the information you need to build your own. Big shout-out to Lucas Dunn, my new CAD designer, who is doing a great job with these plans. We'll have more of these for you as soon as I build some more stuff!
The plans are attached to this post and you ...
2023-04-12 11:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
This video has been a LONG time coming, but we're very excited to bring it to you. This project is a wonderful skill builder and you don't need a ton of wood. Even yellow pine or poplar would work fine.
We've put in a few tasty Patron Tips for your viewing pleasure. These are just for you.
As usual, the plans will be up Wednesday. They are being fini...
2023-04-08 11:00:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I teased it yesterday and most of you guessed right! (I really thought I had made it tough, but you're too smart for me.)
We're delighted to announce the Compass Rose Router Plane kit. This is an easy, affordable, high-quality kit for YOU to make yo...
2023-04-01 11:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Tomorrow, I'll be releasing the next Compass Rose tool, but only here and only for Patrons. The rest of the world will have to wait until Wednesday.
Until then, here's a (deliberately vague) picture of some parts.
Anyone care to guess what the tool is?
Until tomorrow!
--Rex
2023-03-31 13:56:38 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today, we have a special event. I got to interview a wooden plane-maker! Even better, it's our very own Austin Papp, whom many of you know on the forum from as Telemaestro268.
Turns out, Austin and I are neighbors and he came by the shop and explained many of the mysteries of the craft. It was a lot of fun.
On a personal note, I have a family member with a...
2023-03-18 11:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I'm just back from workbenchcon, which was an amazing time. I even met a few Patrons! It was lovely. And then I caught an upper-respiratory infection and I've been sick as a dog for the last 5 days. Please excuse me if I've been late getting to your messages and comments.
Today: the birth of a new series. We call it Tool Stories. In each e...
2023-03-10 20:42:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I've had MANY requests for a tour of my tool-wall and I resisted because....actually, I don't know why. Once I got into this video, I found there were lots of interesting details to discuss.
My tool-wall goes all the way back to my roots as a maker. I built it around 2014, when I was still an English teacher in California. It's been in every shop I've had since ...
2023-03-04 12:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Viewers often tell me that they can’t make winding sticks. The project is just too hard, or they aren’t skilled enough. Most of these folks are actually too scared to even give it a try. Several of them have offered to pay me to make them a set.
There’s no need for that!
If you can saw and plane, then you can make a great set of winding sticks. You can use a...
2023-02-18 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Here are your exclusive plans for the Scratch Stock from the recent video. These go along with our recent Patron Tips initiative: longer, more detailed content for Patrons.
The image you see here is lo-res, so be sure to download the PDF attached to this post or go to the 2023-02-11 12:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
Today, we’re going to learn the Sliding Dovetail. This joint is very common in Continental and even Chinese woodworking, but it’s kind of rare in American and British work. The joint is unfamiliar to many of us and it’s tricky to cut the first time…but only the first time. Knock out a set of these and you’ll have the confidence to use them in many future projects.
Friends:
We're always looking for ways to improve your experience and we've got a great new feature. We're rolling it out THIS Saturday, so you can check it out in just a couple of days.
All the details are in the video.
See you soon!
--Rex
2023-02-09 22:00:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
You know what isn't covered enough? Plain old stock prep. It might not be as glamorous as joinery, but your joints won't work unless the wood is straight and square. Flattening lumber by hand isn't hard, but you need a systematic approach.
Here are my 5 can't miss steps: 1.) Flatten a face. 2.) Remove twist. 3.) Square one edge. 4.) Mark a thickness line around ...
2023-02-04 12:00:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Friends:
I’m happy to say that the computers are all fixed and we’re back to regular videos! Because we’ve been away, we’ll be skipping our regular week “off” and just pushing out content from here to the end of February!
For today’s selection: a bit of woodworking philosophy. I have 2 ideas to guide your practice and make your projects come out better. Sometimes how w...
2023-01-28 12:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post