Woodworker's Journal

CNC routers, Shaper Origin, home shop lasers … all of these products are continuing to make new inroads into home shops around the country. For woodworkers of a certain age — mine for example — these machines seem out of place in a woodworking shop.

ROB JOHNSTONE Publisher ALYSSA TAUER Associate Publisher CHRIS MARSHALL Senior Editor JEFF JACOBSON Senior Art Director DAN CARY Senior Content Strategist COLLEEN CAREY Video Production Assistant MATTHEW HOCKING Internet Production Coordinator Founde

As you now know, we added to our substantial list of Adirondack chairs last issue with a modern version of the New England classic. I have previously discussed how we get mixed reviews of Adirondack chairs, with very strong feelings pro and con. One

I’m 92 years old and have been a woodworker in one way or another since I founded Gold Star recording studios in 1950. It was necessary for me to build cabinets for some of the recording equipment. Gold Star became an important part of the music indu

Hand planes are iconic, traditional woodworking tools. They are a marvel of engineering and perform a multitude of woodworking tasks. Still, many woodworkers don’t use them regularly. We wanted to learn why: Do you regularly use hand planes? Yes: 24%

Dennis Jakubisin of North Royalton, Ohio, found this tool at a garage sale. He has no idea what it is exactly, but given its serrated, curved cutting surface on the inside component, he wonders if it might be useful for putting a chamfer on the end o

For more than two decades, Harvey Industries has operated as an OEM manufacturer of industrial-quality woodworking machines that have been marketed under many of the best-known brand names. Then a couple of years ago, the company began to offer machi

Drill/drivers have become a staple woodworking tool, and with advances in cordless technology you’d be hard pressed to find a shop without at least one. They’re workhorses, but their power is directly related to motor size. Impact drivers, by compari

Although the name Wharton Esherick is nearly synonymous with wood, he used a wide array of materials across his career. In fact, his first forays into wood took place while he was primarily a painter — Esherick created patterned frames to complement

While there’s no argument that impact drivers can be loud, in recent years a new type of impact driver promises quieter operation, with a bit less vibration to boot. Hydraulic or “oil-pulse” impact drivers work on the same principle as standard drive

With standard driver bits (left in photo), the stress is generally constant through a task — from beginning to end there’s one strong but typically unvarying amount of torque applied. For this reason, these bits are made of a steel formulation that i

1. Sand the project up through 220-grit. Don’t skip grits. It is a good idea to sand pieces that will be hard to reach before assembly.2. Wipe the project with mineral spirits to check for glue splotches. Sand them away as needed.3. Flood on the firs

Black walnut’s chocolate-brown heartwood and creamy white sapwood have made it one of the most sought-after North American hardwoods for centuries. The lumber machines easily and finishes beautifully. Many woodworkers treat it with the reverence of a

Uses: Furniture and case goods, veneer, gunstocks, mantels, plaques, knobs, pulls and other turnings Hardness: Soft to medium density; dents easily Country of Origin: Eastern North America Workability: Coarse and generally straight-grained, walnut wo