Popular Woodworking March/April 2023

I’m going to admit that there are aspects of my life that I live (and view) “inside the box.” Woodworking, as an industry, tends to be one of those. Our (magazine) audience is concentrated in the United States, and that’s usually where my scope of the industry lies (toolmakers aside—some of my favorites are from the UK). However, in the words of Nancy Reagan, “There’s a big, wonderful world out there for you.” With that in mind, I’ve started to keep my eyes out while traveling abroad to see and understand exactly what is out there. Several weeks back, I spent a week in Cartagena, Colombia. While wandering the streets, I came across a street vendor sitting on the ground, carving. The gentleman, Abel, was working on mahogany pieces that are…

CHARLES BROCK: Coopered Chair Seat–pg. 42 Having built fine furniture since 1979, Charles Brock has combined his 30 years in public education with his love of woodworking. Chuck teaches six-day sculpted rocker classes (heavily influenced by Sam Maloof) out of his shop in Nashville, Tennessee. Apart from teaching, Chuck is also the host of the popular video series the Highland Woodworker (thehighlandwoodworker.com). SCOTT GROVE: Veneered Chessboard–pg. 30 Scott Grove (Canandaigua, NY) blurs the line between artist and woodworker. Scott teaches worldwide, most notably at Marc Adams School of Woodworking and the Chippendale school in Scotland. Among his countless awards, Scott has received four Veneer Tech Craftsman Challenge awards, an unprecedented achievement in the field. You can see Scott’s work at ImagineGrove.com. WILLIE SANDRY: Drop Leaf Table–pg. 52 Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Willie Sandry is…

As a hand tool junkie, I look at a few things when deciding if a tool is up to snuff. One of those is the condition of the blade. Luckily, replacement blades are readily available, at least in hand planes. The team at Lake Erie Toolworks has thrown their hats in the ring by introducing their new CPM Magnacut Blades. Lake Erie Toolworks, known for their phenomenal wood vice hardware, has started producing replacement blades for various styles of hand planes, ranging from vintage Stanley/Bailey planes to more modern Lie-Nielsen and Veritas. The real draw of these blades, in my opinion, is the steel that they’re made from. The CPM Magnacut steel is the brainchild of Larrin Thomas, a metallurgist from Pittsburgh. It offers outstanding edge retention and easy sharpening (caveat—I…

If you’ve ever taken a look at Bridge City Tools, you’ll know that they have a history of having futuristic-looking tools that perform as well as they look. Recently, Bridge City announced (and released) an update to their HP-6 multiplane. The new HP-6FX is a mighty tool packed in a small package. Like its predecessors, the interchangeable soles and cutters allow you to cut various profiles with one plane. The new version of the HP-6 features high-grade stainless steel and, like all Bridge City Tools, has flawless CNC machining. The HP-6FX comes standard as a rabbet plane—it features a rabbet blade and sole (left photo). The sole has nickers for cross-grain work. The real beauty about the HP-6FX, when compared to other multiplanes (such as a Stanley 45/55), is the fact…

A router may be one of the most versatile tools in the shop. As a hand tool nut, that hurts me a little bit to say, but it’s true. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate how versatile these screaming, dust-creating, whirling tools can be. They slice, they dice, they julienne. But, just like everything else, routers are tools, and to unlock their full potential, there are countless accessories that you can add to your router cabinet that will help you get more out of them. Here are some of my favorites. AUXILIARY BASES Auxiliary bases are a mainstay in my shop. Half of my routers (yes, I have multiples) have some form of a jerry-rigged base for specific tasks. However, my absolute favorite of all my router bases is the one…

A rule joint uses matching profiles to fit a table top together with a folding leaf. The resulting shapes fit together perfectly and allow the table panel to offer support to the leaf along the edge, something a hinged butt joint cannot do. The rule joint gets its name from folding rulers that used a similar interlocking shape and were commonly used by carpenters. Traditionally, this joint was cut with specialty planes that created the mating shapes. Today, we can speed up the process by using carbide-tipped router bits. The bits are a matched set, so they both have the same radius and appropriate bearing size for this type of work. Although these bits are often sold together, they are just a large roundover bit and a cove-cutting bit. So,…