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Articles by Mike Sloggatt

Building Basics, Toolbox: 5 Comments | Add a Comment

Track Saw Tutorials

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Trimming a door bottom, back beveling a door, and beveling shelves

I recently worked on a video series for Festool in which I covered examples of how you might use a Festool track saw in a shop or on the jobsite. In the following videos, I demonstrate how a track saw produces exceptional results when trimming down doors, how using a track saw can save time and additional steps when back beveling a door, and how a track saw offers a better solution than a table saw for making complex bevel or miter cuts.  Read the full article…

Tools in Use: 14 Comments | Add a Comment

The Chappell Square

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A revolutionary approach to a commonly used tool

Every carpenter has his favorite tool—the one he’ll turn the truck around to get because he left it at home. A lot of craftsmen have some kind of antique tool they really don’t use, but think it’s cool to have. (Some of us bought that collectable new!) Just go on eBay and do a search for “collectable carpenters tools.” There are tools online that don’t list a function, because the seller has no idea what it was used for! There are thousands of tools that have come and gone. Some were gadgets that some clever carpenter thought he could retire on; some were replaced with modern technology. My personal test of a tool’s worthiness is whether I would replace it if I lost it or broke it. Read the full article…

From The Road: 6 Comments | Add a Comment

Hurricane Sandy: One Year Later

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TiC Contributing Author Mike Sloggatt is a Long Island resident and national building educator who spent time volunteering in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Mike reflected on the cleanup and recovery from the devastating storm in a October/November 2013 interview with Fine Homebuilding. Fine Homebuilding granted TiC permission to reprint the interview in its entirety. The original can be accessed on the Fine Homebuilding website. Read the full article…

Building Basics, Toolbox: 6 Comments | Add a Comment

Track Saw Tutorial: Processing Sheet Goods

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I recently worked on a video series for Festool in which I covered examples of how you might use a Festool track saw in a shop or on the jobsite. I typically work out of a small garage-based shop, and yet I’m able to process sheet goods in a one-person operation with limited space—something that wouldn’t be nearly as easy with a table saw. Read the full article…

DesignING Class: 43 Comments | Add a Comment

The Elegant Ellipse

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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…

Feature Articles: 28 Comments | Add a Comment

Making a Decorative Sunburst

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I was working on a remodel—a high-end home near the Hamptons—when the homeowner came out the front door with a magazine in her hand. “Look!” she said. “This is exactly what I want on top of my front door!” She tilted the picture toward me: a handsome Greek Revival portico decorated with an elliptical sunburst. “It’s going to cost you,” I told her. “How much?” she asked. “About $1,200,” I said. She smiled and said, “Do it.” Read the full article…

Circular: Comments closed | Add a Comment

Arc Length of a Segmental Arch

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In my article on building a sunburst I described how to find the circumference of a circle given a specific radius. I then divided that circumference in half, because I was working with a half-round arch. This gave me the length measured along the arches curve, otherwise known as the arc length. Finding the arc length of a segmental arch is a little more difficult, but a construction calculator makes it incredibly easy. Read the full article…