The Adze, The Drawknife, and The Mocotaugan By Camille Coy It’s always exciting to see the similarities in woodworking tools across cultures and millennia. Working wood is truly a uniting human quality. I’ve always thought woodworkers (particularly hand tool users) would make good time travelers—they’d be able to seamlessly slip into a profession almost anywhere they ended up. Adze The …
Building a Pole Lathe and Turning a Simple Bowl
By Camille Coy A Brief History of Lathes Woodturning using a human-powered lathe is one of the most ancient forms of woodworking. Perhaps not quite as old as whittling, which was practiced over 10,000 years ago after the last Ice Age, but the art of turning wood still dates back thousands of years. An early archeological record of woodturning with …
The Ultimate Guide to Whittling: Make Art, Pass the Time
(Yes, it’s different than carving) Whittling. It’s always had an almost romantic connotation. It calls up images of an older gentleman looking out over a farm, working away at a wooden spoon. A craft to bide the time. For starters, it’s worth mentioning that although they are often used interchangeably, whittling is not the same as carving. They are two …
A Guide To Intermediate Hand Planes: The Next 3 Hand Planes You Need For Woodworking
Not a Beginner, Not an Expert Whether you’re a woodworker with a bit of experience who’s gone “unplugged,” or someone who began woodworking only with hand tools you probably have at least one or two hand planes. And if that’s not the case, I don’t believe you and I’m very curious indeed as to how you’ve been getting on without …
A Guide To Basic Hand Planes
The Basic Three Hand Planes You Need For Woodworking We’re Here For You: A Little Helpful Direction If you’re looking into woodworking with hand tools, the first thing you probably did was search for, well some hand tools. And maybe it was a little overwhelming. The community of hand tool woodworkers (or unplugged woodworkers if you prefer), is passionate and …
Woodworking and The Ancient World! A Look at The Exciting History of Woodworking in The Middle East
The Fertile Crescent At risk of sounding overly dramatic, I’m beginning this article with a brief look to the very dawn of civilization. The fertile crescent lay nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and in its rich soil the seeds for the future grandeur of the Middle East were planted. ancient Egypt, Lebanon, and Iran all emerged from the …
7 Projects for Hand Tool Beginners
The Not-so-typical Guide for Going Old School In the overwhelming world of the woodworking web, it can be difficult for a hand tool beginner to find their way. Perhaps you’re a seasoned power tool user who has decided to go old school. Or maybe you’re a total newcomer to woodworking who has chosen to use hand tools for their unparalleled …
The Ultimate Guide to Woodworking with Children
Intro Every craft person remembers where and when in their life they first encountered their passion. Woodworking is an ancient art form that has touched every corner of the earth. Whether it’s learned at home with a family member or at school with a dedicated teacher, woodworking with hand tools is valuable and beneficial to children in so many ways. …
15 Reasons To Work With Hand Tools
Many woodworkers have already made the switch to hand tools and gone “uplugged.” If you’re already a skilled woodworker or even just a beginner, you’re probably curious about the art of woodworking with hand tools. What are the benefits? Is it cheaper? Is it safer? Can I use them in an apartment? Wonder no more, I’ve whittled (excuse the pun) …
What’s The Difference Between a Japanese Wood Plane and a Western Wood Plane?
If you’re looking into purchasing a wood plane, then you’ve probably come across Japanese wood planes and wondered how they compare to western planes. A wood plane is a tool made up of a sharpened metal blade or plate attaches to a wooden or metal body. “Planing” is moving a plane across a wooden surface to create uniform shavings in …