Wood and Shop

How to Choose a Log at the Log Yard with Elia Bizzarri
In my above video, professional Windsor Chair Maker Elia Bizzarri teaches how to find the best log for woodworking, at a North Carolina log yard. This extremely useful lesson is part of the 2-disc DVD “Build a Traditional Windsor Rocker with Elia Bizzarri” (buy it in my store here). Here are some photos of Elia at his North Carolina workshop. And here are some photos of Elia's lovely Windsor Chairs: Comment below and share your thoughts and
Understanding & Restoring Antique Hand Saws
By Joshua Farnsworth In my above video, expert hand saw maker Tom Calisto goes into detail on refurbishing an antique Simonds back saw that I bought several years back. Tom teaches classes at Roy Underhill's The Woodwright's School, and he is a contributing writer for both Fine Woodworking Magazine and Popular Woodworking Magazine. Before he refurbished the hand saw, I asked Tom to take some time to talk about hand saw types,
Make a Historic Beeswax, Oil & Turpentine Furniture Polish Finish
In this tutorial I teach how to mix melted beeswax, boiled linseed oil, and turpentine to create a lovely historic wood finish and furniture polish. This recipe was taught to me by both the furniture makers at Colonial Williamsburg and the Frontier Culture Museum. How to Make a Historic Beeswax, Oil & Turpentine Furniture Polish Finish Step 1: Melt Refined Beeswax The first step to make this beeswax furniture polish is to start melting some refined beeswax
How to Make a Bench Hook for Hand Saw Cross Cutting
A bench hook is one of the most used appliances in a traditional woodworking workshop and fortunately one of the easiest to build. It's ridiculously easy to build! What is a Bench Hook used for? A bench hook is a simple wooden appliance that hooks against a workbench's edge and is used to hold pieces of wood while you cut them with a cross cut back saw. How to Build a Bench Hook 1. Dimension &
Don Williams’ Amazing Off-Grid Timber Frame Barn Workshop (Part 1)
In this video & article, Don Williams shares a tour of his timber frame barn woodworking workshop in the mountains of Highland County, Virginia. And yes, he bought his 4 story timber frame barn on eBay...I'll explain in more detail below. I first met Don Williams several years ago at Highland County's Maple Sugar Festival. Don was known to me, as I had seen some of his Popular Woodworking Magazine DVDs (see them all here) and
Colonial Williamsburg Hay Cabinet Shop Tour (part 1)
In the above video I share the first part of my recent visit to the 18th century Anthony Hay Cabinet Shop at Colonial Williamsburg here in my home state of Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg, and the Anthony Hay's cabinet shop, have held a special place in my memory since my youth. Last year I met Kaare Loftheim (Shop Supervisor) at a tool meeting in Richmond, and he invited me to come film a tour of the Anthony Hay Cabinet Shop. This past
How to Square, Flatten, and Dimension Rough Boards with Hand Tools
By Joshua Farnsworth In the above video, and in the below 10 steps, I teach one of the most basic and essential skills in traditional woodworking: how to square, flatten, & dimension your own rough lumber into finished boards. To build quality traditional furniture, you need to start with perfectly flat and square lumber. Some people achieve this with power jointers, planers, and table saws. While the electrical power route is more economical for a