By Joshua Farnsworth In this video I talk all about metal holdfasts for woodworking on your workbench. A holdfast is a historical metal workbench fixture that wedges into a workbench top, holding your workpiece down firmly as you cut joints. In my woodworking school, I own 10 workbenches, and about 30 holdfasts, so I've got a lot of experience with using and troubleshooting different holdfasts with different styles of workbenches. You can read about
By Joshua Farnsworth This past fall I was camping with my friends, Ervin & Willie Ellis ("The Ellis Bros Builders"...see them here) at their new beautiful property in Southwest Virginia. Ervin let me sit in a surprisingly comfortable wooden camp chair, and he told me that it is called a Viking Camp Chair (I'm almost certain it isn't of Viking origin). We immediately took measurements, because I wanted to make one too. The chair
By Joshua Farnsworth In this video I give a detailed tutorial on how to build a Shaker bench. I chose this design because I absolutely love the look of the lapped dovetail braces, and I felt that the lap dovetail joints and the through-mortise & tenon joints would give beginner woodworkers a challenge without overwhelming them. And the project is really fun for experienced woodworkers as well. The most exciting thing about this bench
By Joshua Farnsworth William Brown is a renowned high-end furniture maker and wood carver who builds 18th-Century style furniture in his basement workshop in rural Forest, Virginia. In the video above you'll see a tour of William's workshop, and below you'll see a gallery of William's stunning furniture that he has photographed over the years. But first, here is a mini bio about William: About Wm.
By Joshua Farnsworth Earlier this year my friend gave me a truck load of incredible 8/4 exotic lumber. Great friend, right? He told me that the boards were given to him by a fellow member of the military at his previous station. His military friend had apparently brought it with him when he moved back from living in Africa. So these boards have been sitting in my workshop for months, just tempting
By Joshua Farnsworth In this video & article I'll be showing how to cut the infamous Tongue & Groove joint with both hand tools and power tools, and also cover the pros and cons of each method. What is a Tongue & Groove Joint? A tongue and groove joint is comprised of a tongue that sticks into a groove, and is used to lock together two boards, but it allows for seasonal expansion and contraction with
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
“Wood & Shop is a place for Woodworkers…
…of all skill levels to come learn how to use a mix of traditional hand tools and modern power tools to make heirloom-quality furniture that will last a lifetime.”
– Joshua Farnsworth
WOODWORKING WORKSHOP TOURS
Watch video tours of traditional & modern workshops, and other fascinating places for woodworkers.
