(This article originally appeared on GaryMKatz.com)
Not every project I build comes out perfectly. As a matter of fact, I can’t recall too many that didn’t have at least one minor mistake. Of course, I mean something that no one else would notice, though some of you might. Without a doubt, I’ve never built a perfect pivot bookcase, but I’m getting a lot closer! Read the full article…
In early 2008, an elderly woman drove her car through our back yard and took out a chain link gate. Her vehicle raced across the lawn, just missing a beautiful 30-year-old tangelo tree and a water fountain, eventually crashing into a fence where the corners of four properties met. Her insurance company paid us fairly to cover the total cost of damages, and so began my Great Gate Project. Read the full article…
Like a lot of guys I meet, I’ve spent years fighting to build cabinets and furniture, and mill custom moldings, in my garage shop—working around the 1951 Mack fire truck I restored, and the 1954 Harley I’m working on, and my newer bike—plus, I have to store all this crap for Gary and Mike’s Roadshows…well, you get the picture. I wanted a real shop, a place I could spread out and get some work done without having to move stuff every time I wanted to build something.
From the early part of my career I’ve been dealing with a lot of curved work. The neighborhood I specialize in was built in the early 1900s, and many of the homes are graced with both simple and complex arches. When I started in the business, I relied on millwork shops whenever I needed to restore or remodel projects. But all that changed on one single job. Read the full article…
I had a set of custom doors to build from scratch and boy was the timing right. Festool picked me as one of the few carpenters to get a Domino XL for user evaluation. And I took full advantage of the opportunity, one that I felt was both a privilege and a responsibility. I carefully documented the process for my peers on THISisCarpentry. Maybe another contributor will follow up with a different angle on this awesome second generation tool. Read the full article…
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of drawers in my shop that are crammed with tools. It’s difficult to find stuff when I need it, and every time I open a drawer, I’m always worried that my sharp tools are banging around, getting dull or chipped. Especially my new lathe tools.
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Four-centered arches are most often found in Victorian homes for a simple reason: Victorian architecture is a blend of neo-classical styles and Gothic designs. And there is no better example of Gothic revival architecture than a four-centered arch.
What do a real estate agent, a dentist, an architect, a couple of woodworkers, and a father/sons machinist trio have in common? They were all attendees of the two-day Festool Cabinet Construction Class that I was lucky enough to get into. Read the full article…
Two-centered and four-centered arches share something in common—a pointed peak. It’s not surprising that both are commonly found in Gothic and Gothic-inspired architecture. But a three-centered arch—sometimes called a ‘basket-handle arch’ or ‘Anse de panier’—closely resembles an ellipse, which puts it in a field of its own.
Most carpenters these days are very concerned about space. Whether we are trying to cram all of our tools into the back of a pickup, into a small garage/shop, or onto a cramped jobsite, most of us are all-too-aware that the old adage “bigger is better” is not always true. How many times have we been on a job only to wish we had brought that one tool that was left behind due to lack of space?
I’ve toured a lot of historic homes and seen some extraordinary arches—door jambs, windows, passageways. In reading about historic architecture, especially Gothic and colonial styles, I’ve come across some beautiful arch work. But those once-common elements are not often incorporated into millwork today. Sure, sometimes the carpentry techniques are more difficult, and too costly, but the problem I’ve recognized is more one of design. Read the full article…
Today, ‘tangent handrail’ is certainly an obscure topic. Until recently, when I taught a seminar on the subject in Seattle, I didn’t think anyone would be interested. I was wrong. At that seminar, hosted by Keith Mathewson of Seattle Fine Woodworking, we had a full house of dedicated craftsmen who came together from all parts of the country for one reason only—to learn something new.
Ever since portable table saws first appeared on jobsites, carpenters have been throwing away the guards, and for good reason: They’re difficult to remove and re-install; after they’ve been used for a few months, you can’t see through the plastic shroud, so it’s impossible to align the blade with a measurement mark; you have to remove the guard to make narrow rips or rabbets; and carpenters have always suspected that the splitters cause more kickback than they prevent. Those are a lot of reasons to set aside a saw guard. Read the full article…
Soon after Larry Haun published his book, A Carpenter’s Life, I overheard someone complaining that the book was ‘repetitious’. They said: “Larry just keeps saying the same stuff chapter after chapter—take care of the earth, don’t be greedy, care about your neighbors. I thought the book was going to be about carpentry!” I didn’t have the courage to speak up then, but I will now, from the safety of my desk. Yes, Larry Haun’s final, and perhaps most illuminating, book is repetitious—and it should be.