Wood and Shop

How to Make Half-blind Dovetails for Drawers with James Huggett
In this video James Huggett shares a very detailed tutorial on how to cut a half-blind dovetail joint with hand tools, for use on drawers and case pieces. Jim has cut many dovetails over the years, and here are some of the lovely dovetailed drawers that Jim has made using this half-blind dovetail joint: Notice the deeply scribed layout line on these drawers. That, along with irregular and more delicate pins, are a sure sign
James Huggett’s Dream Woodworking Workshop
In the above video James "Jim" Huggett shares a recent tour of his Furniture Making workshop in Earlysville, Virginia, just a few miles from the Wood And Shop Traditional Woodworking School. Jim reached out to me over a year ago, after he learned that my shop & school were just down the road from him. I dropped by his workshop (J.F. Huggett Custom Furniture), and was amazed that such an accomplished and skilled furniture maker
Make a Tusk Tenon Joint with Hand Tools (Part 1/5)
In this video, hand tool woodworking expert Will Myers shows his method for making the strong and attractive wedged tusk tenon (or keyed tenon), and he demonstrates it during his building of a Moravian Workbench at Roy Underhill's Woodwright's School. A tusk tenon is especially great for furniture that needs to be collapsible. A wedge is tapped down into a mortise, and tightens the mortise and tenon joint right up. And tapping the bottom of the wedge
Shave Horse for Green Woodworking with the Ellis Bros.
Recently my friends Ervin & Willie Ellis came to visit my school, to plan out an upcoming class called “Make a German Shave Horse with Ervin & Willie Ellis”. In the above video they demonstrate how to use a shaving horse for making timber frame pegs, a tomahawk handle, and traditional roof shingles. You can learn more about their two day shaving horse class here. There are no openings for the July class, but the October
How to Find Large Wood Slabs for Workbench Tops
Last year I bought six large slabs for workbench tops in my school, and I've had a lot of readers and students ask me where they can purchase beefy slabs like these. I can certainly share my source for people who live within reasonable driving distance to my school, but for everyone else I'll just have to tell you what to look for in your area. Almost without exception the least expensive way to find slabs like these, is
Introduction to Hand Tool Woodworking Class
I recently taught a three day "Introduction to Hand Tool Woodworking" class here at my traditional woodworking school in Virginia, and want to share the experience to give you an idea of what the class is like. The first thing students do in this class is learn about & try out workbenches and all the different hand tools in the shop. Then they jump in and use a folding rule to measure out a length
Which Affordable Dovetail Saw is Best? Lie-Nielsen vs. Veritas
In the above video I discuss backsaws, and what to look for when you're buying a back saw. I focus on comparing two of the most popular mid-priced dovetail saws, the Veritas dovetail saw (by Lee Valley) and the Lie-Nielsen dovetail saw. What is a Back Saw? A back saw is a hand saw that has a stiff metal back (brass, steel, or plastic) that rigidly holds a thin saw plate for use in cutting accurate furniture

TOOL BUYING GUIDE

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

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.