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Wooden automaton figure using a lathe.
Colwin Way takes the mechanism made by Richard Findley and adds his woodturner automaton...
13
Feb
Elegant wooden chair with carved details.
Colwin Way Turns a Traditional Chair from Ash As a professional woodturner, I find...
12
Feb
Man working vintage log splitting machine outdoors.
Wood, a material from trees, grown by the energy of the sun, is the beginning of...
11
Feb
Illustration of a traditional yurt with trees.
For centuries, the yurt has been the portable home of choice throughout central Asia....
10
Feb
Wooden bird sculpture flying elegantly
Peter Benson carves a large sea bird on the wing The wandering albatross and other...
10
Feb

Furniture & Cabinetmaking

Modern minimalist table with elegant legs

Making The Sika Console Table

Laurent Peacock outlines the techniques used in the joinery of his Sika console table. When designers seek inspiration for new work, the old edict ‘form follows function’ is often a solid starting point. However, when I began developing ideas for a speculative console table design, the relative absence of a specific function to design around prompted me to look further for inspiration. I’m certainly neither the first nor the last designer to be intrigued by the natural world, but as design stimulus I find it far more useful than looking at other man-made objects. I wanted my design to be primarily a study in form, and also to be imbued with a sense of character or personality. I guess in some way it was inevitable then, in developing a design for a tall, skinny, leggy table informed by nature, that an animal-like feel would emerge. The resulting design has the

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Vintage woodworking planes on a workbench.

Combination Planes. The Old and the New

Randy Maxey shows all about combination planes and the differences between old ones and new ones. What is a combination plane? As suggested by the name, a combination plane is a nifty device that enables users to interchange blade profiles for various effects. This makes them particularly versatile. They can be used to create a whole host of finishes, including: Do not be put off by their complex look. With a little practice and perseverance, you will soon become familiar with the genius of these time-proven tools. The old combination planes A combination plane is a unique woodworking hand plane originally patented in the late 1800s. Justus Traut was a prolific inventor of woodworking tools. He and his associate, Edmund Schade, patented a version of a combination “bench plane” in 1895. It was a precursor to the Stanley 45 combination plane that would eventually be marketed. The idea was to

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Woodcarving

Stack of carved wooden cups on table.

The Cosiness of a Kuksa – Carving a Wooden Mug

In an extract from his book Green Wood Carving, Harald Lamon carves a wooden mug Apart from spoons – my first love – there is one item that I like to make perhaps even more than everything else. It makes me very happy to give it as a gift that is always gratefully received: a kuksa! From the first coffee in the morning to the last dessert in the evening: everything fits into a kuksa. It is much more fun and especially cosier to drink or eat from your own handmade wooden kuksa! A kuksa, guksi or kåsa is a traditional Scandinavian mug. The Sami in particular make beautiful ones, often decorated with reindeer antlers and delicate decorations. A kuksa is less easy to make than a spoon. On the one hand, it has to be functional in size and shape, just like an eating spoon. On the other hand,

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Golden goat embossed round plaque.

How to Carve a Billy Goat

Johan Roudy shows how to create a small, detailed relief carving in boxwood. This 70mm diameter medallion is part of a small series of low-reliefs I carved. Contrary to the previous ones I made, which showed farm animals in a strict profile view, this billy goat is depicted in a three-quarter view. Adding some perspective effects to the fine details was one more challenge. Whatever the size you choose to make yours, it works very well as a larger, plate-sized carving. The best method I know to deal with that is to divide the design in different layers, and to figure out which elements come in front and which ones come at the back. In this carving, the highest points will be the horns, the muzzle, the tip of the ears and the hanging end of the collar. The head, the neck and the shoulder will be our three main

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Woodturning

GMC Imperial to Metric Conversion Table

Measurements Conversion Chart

Different countries use different measuring systems and typically the USA uses the standard/English/Imperial system and the UK uses the Metric system. It is possible to get calculators to make the conversions but the ones that use fractions are not so easy to find. Below is the conversion chart we use for all our publications and it gives the best results for woodworkers when sizing wood. If you want to do hardware conversions this will not work so well and you will need to find the nearest metric equivalent that the hardware manufacturers in your country makes. If the measurement conversion you require is not listed below simple find two, or more, measurements (in your measuring system) that will add together to make up the measurement you want, then add them and their conversions together to get the resulting conversion. If you wish to save a copy for reference, right-click on

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Industrial machinery tooling components and parts.

Jaw Types, Screw Chucks and Tailstocks

How many different jaws are there? There are many, but here we will look at the four most common ones I use. Why are there all the different types and sizes? The size is easy – the larger your item the larger the recess or spigot needs to be for the extra surface contact area between the work and the chuck jaws. If the contact area is too small, your work will not be held securely. The types can be chosen to suit the type of item you are making – from holding pen blanks to drill, to remounting jaws for bowls. Do remember to buy jaws for your particular chucks; most jaws are not interchangeable for other manufacturer’s chucks. We will also look at the use of the tailstock for supporting your work. Types of chuck Most chucks come with 50mm jaws as standard; these jaws will hold most of

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Woodworking Crafts

Wooden tricycle for toddlers, handcrafted design.

Child’s Bicycle

Alan Holtham makes a wooden toy that generations of children can enjoy This wooden bike is great fun to make – the construction is very simple and uses the minimum of materials. The end result is a sturdy toy that will last forever and will probably become a family heirloom. These push-along toys are aimed at children from 18 months onwards, the four wheels and chunky construction making it both robust and stable. The trick though is to achieve a compromise between being sturdy and not being too heavy, hence a lot of the cutting and shaping work in the final stages. You won’t need a lot in the way of tools to make it either. A decent jigsaw and a router are essential, but that’s about all. The curved surfaces are easier to finish if you have access to a bobbin sander, but you do not necessarily need a

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Set of three wooden nesting tables.

Veneering Tables

This nest of tables was made some years ago to complement a client’s existing furniture. Designed around the requested size of the large table, they were made from Brazilian mahogany (Plathymenia reticulata) timber and veneer. Recently, however, the client decided to refresh them and have the tops veneered. I did this by hand, but as veneering is an extensive subject, I will endeavour to explain the different methods you can use depending on the equipment you have available. Veneer plan What you will need • Table saw• Planer/thicknesser• Bandsaw• Squares • Spokeshaves – flat and round• Mortiser or mortise chisel• Router and table with straight cutter• Profile gauge• Sash clamps• Chisels• Cabinet scraper• Abrasives• Straightedge• Veneer cutter• Card for templatesFor hand veneering• Glue pot with animal/hide glue• Veneer hammer• Gummed brown tape• Rule and knifeFor press veneering• Bag press – more than one make is available• Cold press glue for

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Videos