MarkBuildsItJan 15, 20211 minUse a Hand Plane to Square Up Large StockOver the next few weeks I'll be spending most of my blog writing time either filming or editing videos for use in my upcoming Workbench...
MarkBuildsItJan 14, 20211 minWorking Unstable Stock with a Toothed Planing StopIf you don't have a planing stop in your bench, you should get one. And if you have a stop, but it doesn't have teeth, you should get...
MarkBuildsItJan 8, 20212 minOne Small Mistake......can lead to a cascade of changes. I'm always amazed at how this phenomenon comes into play in the shop. Last week, when I was drilling...
MarkBuildsItJan 7, 20211 minJeff Hamilton joins us on the MWA PodcastJoin us for this week's MWA Podcast as we hear the history of Hamilton Toolworks as only Jeff can tell it.
MarkBuildsItJan 6, 20211 minWhy I'll Never Prep a Chair for Milk Paint in a Hotel RoomOther than trimming off the bottom of the arm post tenons, all that remained to complete the Continuous Arm Rocker for Christmas, was...
MarkBuildsItDec 26, 20201 minA Christmas MiracleI hope you and your family are having a wonderful holiday season. I'm happy to report that the two big projects I was working on were...
MarkBuildsItDec 24, 20202 minA Long Awaited FinishI'm not sure why I agreed to such a crazy plan, but I guess that's how chair makers indulge their children.
MarkBuildsItDec 23, 20203 minUnfinished Projects are an Energy DrainI'm beginning to wonder how much mental energy is being wasted on little projects that I have begun, but haven't made time to finish.
MarkBuildsItDec 22, 20201 minDesign Changes and Sunk CostsThe hardest part about sunk costs is learning to ignore them. This is not one of my strongest skills.
MarkBuildsItDec 19, 20201 minJason Thigpen and "The 5 Questions"He attempts to dodge the favorite tool question, but Sean and Kyle manage to pin him down.
MarkBuildsItDec 18, 20202 minI Could Have Stopped at TwoNow I have to do four. My first mistake was going for the third coat. For some reason I had it locked in my mind that I had to put three...
MarkBuildsItDec 17, 20201 minNow Playing: Build a Pinhead Shave Horse - Episode 3This episode covers the lay out and shaping of the rear legs. There are also some helpful tips on using a card scraper to remove bandsaw...
MarkBuildsItDec 16, 20202 minFinishing... the Anti-Climax.There are woodworkers among us who enjoy finishing. I am not one of them.
MarkBuildsItDec 15, 20202 minGetting Schooled by My StudentI couldn't help being proud of myself. Surely this lesson would save my student hours of work over the years.
MarkBuildsItDec 14, 20201 minJason Thigpen on the MWA PodcastI've known Jason for several years. He and his wife, Sarah, are the driving force behind a small business with big plans.
MarkBuildsItDec 12, 20201 minNow Playing: Build a Pinhead Shave Horse - Episode 2In this episode I show you how to prepare the Spacer Blocks, Front Leg and Rails for Glue-up. I also show you my strategy for using...
MarkBuildsItDec 11, 20202 minGet Them (In the US) While You Can...A few years back, Christopher Schwarz Introduced North American woodworkers to the "The Most Tenacious Nails Ever". These reproduction...
MarkBuildsItDec 10, 20202 minThe Splinters PodcastGary manages to pull from his own personal experience both in and out of the shop to get his message across.
MarkBuildsItDec 9, 20204 minYou Don’t Have To Start Simple...Sturdy dovetails aren’t that hard to cut. But making them pretty and sturdy is a different challenge.
MarkBuildsItDec 9, 20201 minWhat Is Your Goal?My goal in making these joints was speed. That's it. That was the most important part of the job.