MarkBuildsItSep 4, 20211 minFollowing my Bliss(ters)Ever heard of Joseph Campbell? Me neither. But I bet you've heard his words. And I bet you were either inspired or annoyed by them....
MarkBuildsItSep 2, 20211 minAnother Tough Choice...It was not an easy decision. But, with an unvaccinated youngster at home, and the Delta Variant raging through Missouri and Texas, I'm...
MarkBuildsItJun 21, 20212 minMake a Clean Exit at the Drill PressI used to have the hardest time getting a clean exit hole when I was drilling through wood. A good set of lipped brad points, or the Wood...
MarkBuildsItJun 12, 20213 minTime to Try Something DifferentBy the beginning of this year, my most often used chisel, an A2 Steel, 1/2 inch Lie-Nielsen Bevel Edge Socket Chisel, had reached the end...
MarkBuildsItJun 11, 20211 minVisit The Texas Woodworking FestivalIt's a strange thing for me to say, but I've missed woodworking shows. Mostly because... I get exhausted. I'm an introvert. I come home...
MarkBuildsItJun 10, 20212 minShave Horse Kit UpdatesI'm nearing completion of the most recent batch of shave horses. Since the plans and parts are all fresh in my head (and I'm nearly out...
MarkBuildsItJun 8, 20212 min(A Very Few) Shave Horse Kits in StockI was cleaning up the shop a little while back and found a half dozen packing tubes with Shave Horse plans already inside them. Now that...
MarkBuildsItMay 11, 20212 minMake a Woodworker Out of A Pallet BuilderYesterday I actually groaned out loud as I clicked the title of the newsletter I received from Lee Valley... "Make a Backyard Bar Using...
MarkBuildsItMay 8, 20211 minFlatten Your WorkbenchI've made a handful of videos for the students of my Workbench Class (at Home) students that I consider to be Core Skills. So, after some...
MarkBuildsItApr 23, 20211 minBrand New Workbench Seeking A Good HomeUPDATE: This workbench has sold - I don't usually build workbenches on spec, but I needed to build one for my Workbench Class (at Home)...
MarkBuildsItApr 14, 20211 minJointer Video Mis-FireI'm sorry about locking you all out of the Sharpening Video this morning. Apparently you can't have a video that is both "Unlisted" and...
MarkBuildsItApr 14, 20211 minHow To Sharpen a Jointer PlaneNearly all of my plane irons are ground to a custom shape. My jointer is no exception. It’s not flat, but it’s not cambered either. In...
MarkBuildsItMar 27, 20211 minSelect Your Draw Bore Pins CarefullyReading the grain, and carefully choosing the stock that gets driven into the joint, should always be a part of your process.
MarkBuildsItMar 20, 20211 minSharpen a Shoulder PlaneIf it's a bevel up plane and it's in my shop, it's going to get sharpened to 40 degrees and the back of the blade is going to get the...
MarkBuildsItMar 16, 20211 minUse Floss to Fix a CrackLast week I filmed the process of cleaning up the shoulder of a mortise and tenon joint for my Workbench Class (at Home) students. My...
MarkBuildsItMar 12, 20211 minFrench Triangles and French Workbenches It's modified version of the original system, but it seems like the kind of thing that any workbench builder might benefit from knowing.
MarkBuildsItMar 11, 20211 minAdding Camber to a Bevel Up Plane BladeThe geometry of bevel up planes requires an adjustment to how you think about camber.
MarkBuildsItMar 10, 20211 minJust Because It's New, Doesn't Mean It's GoodThere are some very old companies who used to make sweet tools. But I wouldn't get your heart set on owning any of their new stuff.
MarkBuildsItFeb 26, 20211 minSet Up a New Bench ChiselContinuing on with my Core Skills video series, I've got a new one that shows how I set up a brand new bench chisel. It features a 1/2...
MarkBuildsItJan 17, 20211 minWorking Odd Shaped Stock with a Toothed Planing StopYour planing stop is better with teeth! Here's another reason why...