Popular Woodworking January/February 2023

When you first got this issue of Popular Woodworking, you may recognize the front cover image. The beautiful Arts & Crafts bookcase that appears on the cover first appeared on the December 2015 cover (photo to the right). I was a subscriber to Popular Woodworking at that time, and it was always one of my favorite projects that I could recall. Little did I know that I would have the fortune of crossing paths with the woodworker behind it, Nancy Hiller, several years later when she joined us at the Woodsmith video studios to film some online courses. I didn’t get much of a chance to know Nancy other than getting to watch her in the studio for several days. What I did learn about her was that she was one…

ASA CHRISTIANA: Slab-Topped Coffee Table–pg. 34 Asa is the former editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and the author of the “Build Stuff with Wood” book series, designed to take beginners “from zero to hero.” The second volume, “Build More Stuff with Wood” (Taunton Press), went on sale at the end of 2022. Like book one, it’s packed with useful projects for all skill levels. A third and final volume is planned for 2024. JIMMY CLEWES: Turned Scoop–Pg. 50 Hailing from England, Jimmy Clewes now resides in Las Vegas with his wife Mary and dog Seamus. Jimmy has spent the last thirty-five years traveling the world teaching and demonstrating woodturning. His quick wit and straightforward approach have made him a favorite of students from across the globe. When not hosting students at his home…

Metabo HPT has been busy lately with upgrading and expanding their lineup with some great tools, and their new 18v brushless random orbit sander is no exception to that trend. It’s full of smart features, like six speed settings (7,000 - 11,000 OPM adjustable speed), good dust collection, and an electric brake. The brake is something worth calling out. Almost every other random orbital sander I’ve used coasts to a stop when you shut it off. Inevitably a day will come when you’ll absentmindedly set the sander down on your workpiece before the disk comes to a complete stop, and you’ll mar your recently sanded work. That’s not going to be an issue with this sander, though, as the brake stops oscillation in just a second. When you think about it,…

If you think of a “sexy tool,” a tape measure probably is one of the last things that you’d consider. But at the very least, most of us probably have our favorite one. That is when we can remember where we sat it, at least. On my apron, I keep a 12' vintage Starrett. It’s a great size for in the shop when I’m working with project parts. However, when I’m out running my sawmill or searching for the right piece of lumber, I need something a little more robust. The ProBlade tape measure from ToughBuilt (shown here) has become my favorite tape measure to carry around. The ProBlade tape measure is simply built differently—it has a heft to it that screams quality, and the rubberized coating of the housing protects…

Vintage woodworking tools have always held a certain appeal to me. Earlier this year, I was out in California with David Marks working on an upcoming project. In David’s shop, he has a 24" jointer of vintage make, and if you’d watched his TV show “Wood Works” when it aired on HGTV, you may have caught a glimpse or two of it. Seeing David’s jointer wasn’t my first introduction to vintage power equipment, but it certainly re-ignited a desire that I had to own some of these machines for myself. Fast forward several weeks, and I happened to stumble upon the beauty that you see above. An acquaintance of mine had posted this jointer for sale. The said gentleman has several large pieces of woodworking machinery already, and some of his…

Some of the most aesthetically compelling pieces of furniture I’ve seen in the Arts & Crafts style were made by an English company most Americans have never heard of. Between 1890 and 1910, the Harris Lebus Company of London exploited the prevailing fashion in home décor, producing a variety of sideboards, hallstands, wardrobes, washstands and related furniture characterized by simple lines and bold proportions. Many of these items were production built with a price point rather than handcraft in mind. Yet by virtue of their affordability, these pieces achieved one of the Arts & Crafts movement’s central ideas: to make useful and beautiful things available to those of modest means. While researching an article on Harris Lebus several years ago, I came across a knockdown wardrobe. Detail photos revealed less-than-optimal fabrication; the…