• Hand using a chisel to cut a sliding dovetail joint on a candle stand spindle by Will Myers

    How to Make Sliding Dovetails with Will Myers

    In these two videos, hand tool woodworker and Shaker furniture expert Will Myers shows his simplified method for cutting the mysterious sliding dovetail joint. And he does it as part of a cherry Shaker candle stand. Will Myers reproduced this candle stand from a very famous table found at the Hancock Shaker Village. You can watch the tours that I filmed of the Shaker Village and shaker

  • Pump-n-seal sitting on a jar of wood finish with other colorful jars next to it

    Pump that Preserves Wood Finish & Saves Money

    Have you ever opened a jar of wood finish that you mixed months ago, only to find that it looks like this? A semi-solid gelatinous mass? While it looks cool, and feels cool when you touch it, it also means money down the drain. When most wood finishes are exposed to oxygen, the finishes become ruined over time. For many years I would just crush the cans inward to reduce the amount of oxygen that

  • Using a froe to split wood

    How to use a Froe to Split Green Wood w/ Elia Bizzari

    In this video Elia Bizzari shows how to use a traditional froe to split green wood. In his example, he splits a long piece of oak for a Windsor Chair seat back. This tutorial is really useful because Elia teaches how to steer the froe to control the direction of the split. If you want help buying an antique or new froe, you can visit our article: Green Woodworking Tool Buyer's Guide. You can also

  • Sharpening mortise gauge pins with a file

    Rehabbing Antique Mortise Gauges & Marking Gauges

    By Joshua Farnsworth In the above video I talk about the differences between mortise gauges and marking gauges for woodworking, and some common problems that you may encounter when buying antique gauges, and solutions for repairing them to working order. I've bought a lot of marking gauges & mortise gauges over the years, especially last year prior to opening my woodworking school. I was lucky to buy a whole box of quality marking gauges at

  • Hand cut through dovetails with dovetail saw

    Easy Hand Cut Dovetails that Hide Grooves with Will Myers

    In this video Will Myers demonstrates his straight-forward method for cutting a through-dovetail joint, with a trick to hide a groove. This demonstration is on a workbench tool tray, for a Moravian Workbench, but it is the same process you would use when adding bottoms when making boxes or tool chests. Here is the original Moravian Workbench that Will Myers patterned his benches after (it is stored at the Old Salem Museum in North Carolina).

  • Erik Florip Toolworks Woodworking dovetail saw

    Finally, the Best High-End and Affordable Dovetail Saw!

    I recently discovered an amazing toolmaker who has found a way to sell his top-notch tools at prices that real people can afford. His name is Erik Florip, he's a Marine veteran, and his company is Florip Toolworks. Remember that name, because with his low prices and high quality, he's going to steal some market share from the other toolmakers. His dovetail saws are as good as the $200+ dovetail saws, but are selling for

  • Green woodworking tools for carving bowls and spoons, sitting on a woodworking workbench, including a bowl adze, carving gouge, hook knife, axe, and drawknife

    Tools for Green Woodworking & Bowl or Spoon Carving with Mike Cundall

    By Joshua Farnsworth In the above video, wooden bowl and spoon maker Mike Cundall talks about which hand tools are needed for green woodworking generally, and also for bowl carving and spoon carving. He also shares some of his beautifully carved wooden spoons and bowls. Mike is one of our newest instructors at the Wood and Shop Traditional Woodworking School, and he'll be teaching two classes this year: "Bowl Carving & Spoon Carving with Mike

TOOL BUYING GUIDE

Joshua’s buyer’s guides for which hand tools to buy for traditional woodworking.

blue dovetail desk beginner projects for woodworkers

WOODWORKING PROJECTS

Woodworking projects for beginners and more advanced woodworkers. Build your hand tool skills!

WORKSHOPS & TOURS

Watch video tours of traditional workshops and other fascinating places for woodworkers.

20 BEGINNER’S HAND TOOLS

See the most basic list of tools to buy first when  starting traditional woodworking.

10 STEPS: GET STARTED

Learn Joshua’s simplified 10 steps of how to get started in traditional woodworking.

WOOD JOINERY

Learn how to cut different joints like dovetails and mortise & tenon by hand.

DIMENSIONING WOOD

Learn how to dimension wood so it is square, true, flat, and smooth.

CHOOSING LUMBER

Learn how to choose & buy lumber that is stable, beautiful, and useful for furniture.

TOOL SHARPENING

Learn how to sharpen & tune different traditional woodworking hand tools.

TOOL REFURBISHING

Learn how to refurbish antique woodworking hand tools to usable condition.

JOSHUA’S BLOG

See a full chronological list of Joshua’s woodworking video blog posts & articles.

HAND TOOL TUTORIALS

Learn how to use hand planes, hand saws, chisels, & many other hand tools.