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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
Chisel cutting precise wood joint.
Each week we bring you a round-up of interesting and entertaining woodworking content...
10
Feb
Wooden bicycle model with vintage Yorkshire tour sign.
Inspired by the world’s biggest bike race, Rick Uttley recreates a classic cycle...
08
Feb

Furniture & Cabinetmaking

Wooden cabinet with shelves, drawers, and glass storage.

The Hugo Drinks Cabinet

From the height of art deco sophistication and through the mixed up seventies a nicely proportioned drinks cabinet still has style. James Marshall Phillips of Burke & Marshall share their contribution to the art of entertaining As luxury items of furniture, drinks cabinets offer designers the opportunity to indulge themselves a little and explore details and features that would seem out of place on more utilitarian pieces. The line between flamboyance and modesty is one that we tread very carefully when designing. Well considered flourishes and detail can turn an otherwise plain piece into something exciting, but too much fanfare can come across as pretentious, noisy and distracting. With this in mind, we set out to design a statement piece that’s not too ostentatious, is highly functional with plenty of space for bottles while also offering a degree of understated luxury Burke & Marshall Burke & Marshall is a handmade

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Round wooden table with dark ornate base.

Rosewood Breakfast Table

Louise Biggs restores a Regency-era rosewood table. I have several clients who prefer antique furniture, and this rosewood table came in from one of them. Dating from the Regency period circa 1810–30, the table has an octagonal baluster with a tricorn base on carved feet and castors. With a tilt top, they are sometimes referred to as breakfast tables, and other times as centre tables. Assessment What you will need Stages of restoration To start with I needed to antique the castors, which required the lacquer removed first. Having placed the castors in a container of paint stripper, cleaned off the debris and neutralised them with methylated spirits I further cleaned them using a solution of equal parts citric acid (lemon juice), acetic acid (vinegar) and salt and 0000 wire wool. When working with these substances, gloves, eye and fume protection must be worn at all times, firstly because of

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Woodcarving

Wooden carving of a dragon with oak leaves

Oak Leaf Dragon

Duane Cartwright carves a mythical oak leaf dragon. The leaf dragon is a mythical creature which can be found in many art forms. It’s a great subject for woodcarving as it can be shaped and designed to fit many different styles of carving. Dragons and foliage in their many forms have been popular carving subjects throughout history and the two have been blended together with varying success. This is my interpretation of a leaf dragon.  Design I have used oak leaves and acorns in this project, but any leaf shape or species could be used. If designing or altering the provided design it’s worth keeping in mind the overall shape of the design. I used the ’S’ shape for the dragon, but a ‘C’ shape can also work very well. Using the pattern provided there are a couple of options open to how you could carve this design. I have carved it

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Assorted wooden step stools and table.

Water-Based Finishes

Are the new generation of water-based lacquers really a match for old school finishes? If you think the list of accessible finishing products is long, then maybe consider the number of possible outcome when you mix and match the techniques for applying them. My daughter’s maths homework this week was on the subject of probabilities. She’s learned that the chances of getting a Royal Flush in poker are about 2.5 million to 1. Fortunately, the chances of achieving a perfect finish are more in your favour. It’s with this in mind that I’ve decided to shorten the odds even more by looking at water-based finishes, and whether there is a place in the cabinet for a selection of reliable alternatives to solvent-based products.  First observations In preparing this article, almost everyone I spoke to about water-based finishes had had a bad experience using them, or were just irrationally averse to

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Woodturning

Woodworking router stencils and jigs for precise cutting.

Re-Chucking Methods

Philip Greenwood looks at methods of re-chucking. In this part we look at a few methods to re-chuck the base of a finished item, or to hold an item. The cost can be very little, as most items to make the jigs will be in your workshop. Yes, a few do require you to buy additional chuck jaws to fit to your chuck, or other small items. One method I have not described here is a vacuum chuck; this is because I do not have one, but I know how useful one can be. The most important part of whatever method you use, is that it is safe to use and will not leave marks on your finished work, or you have wasted your time. Some of the methods below do require you to hand finish to remove a small pip in the middle of the base, but this is

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Elegant wooden pen in a stand

Retractable Wooden Ballpoint Pen

Ger Vervoort makes a unique implement completely out of wood without the need to buy a pen kit Back in my early turning years, I was subscribing to an American magazine called Fine Woodworking. In 1988, there was an article about a wooden retractable ballpoint, turned and written by Richard Elderton. When you’re a novice woodturner, you want to turn anything, from bowls and goblets to boxes and vases – at least I did. This article in Fine Woodworking intrigued me enormously and I started making this ballpoint pen as well. What makes this pen so special is that, at that time, there were no pen kits, and this was made entirely out of wood. The only thing you must buy is the refill, and the spring you get from an empty ballpoint. In the beginning I made this pen as it was described in the article and the closure

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Woodworking Crafts

Wooden birdhouse on tree with red foliage.

How to Make a Birdhouse

Derek Jones makes a birdhouse for the garden. The design This little bird box is made out of 15mm exterior-grade plywood and some off-cuts of softwood tongue and groove. The roof uses up some leftover strips of roofing felt. This design can be adapted to make different types of nest box to attract different kinds of birds – a hole-fronted box for smaller birds, such as tits or sparrows, or an open-fronted design for robins or flycatchers, for instance. The opening roof in the hole-fronted box design enables you to clean out the box thoroughly in the winter to reduce the chances of disease or infestation, but do not be tempted to inspect the box during nesting through spring and summer. The hook on the roof protects the young from predators such as crows, squirrels or rats. Exploded view Birdhouse dimensions and construction Species to expect This birdhouse would make

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Drill bit cutting into spinning wood on lathe.

10 Tips for Drilling Better Holes. Part 1

Kurt Hertzog gives his best advice on drilling better holes. As woodturners we are often cutting holes, but there are many occasions where drilling holes is the method needed. Whether it’s a pass through for fasteners, locations for assembly dowels or one of the many other purposes, the ability to drill a proper hole is a skill. In this two part series I’ll share with you 10 tips to creating drilling better holes. Sharpness is paramount Like your turning tools that will cut well and cleanly when they are sharp and properly presented, it’s the same with your drill bit. In this day of throwaway, few people outside of the trade have ever learned to sharpen a drill bit freehand. It’s that sad fact that ensures the drill bit purchased at the home centre will get dull quickly, and continue to be used regardless of the quality of the hole

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