Woodworking is a curious pursuit. Sometimes it feels like a perfectly natural and organic thing—the smell of pine shavings filling the air or the feel of your hand on the smooth finish left by a handplane can be magical. Other times it is like wrestling a mythical creature in a video game: Sure, let’s cut a solid piece of wood, heat it up with steam, and bend it in circles. There is nothing natural about that, but it works!

Before I came to work at the magazine, my woodworking was fairly flat and rectilinear. I made functional (and I think lovely) items for our home, but I was always drawn to curves. Much of what inspired me in the pages of Fine Woodworking were the sleek curves found on the furniture of Garrett Hack and Tim Rousseau, who were my idols. But the thought of making something with curves scared me to death. There is safety in a straight line, comfort in being able to verify the quality of your work with a straightedge or a square. Plus, I was frozen by the idea of bending wood—whether it was with bent lamination or steam bending. It seemed like magic and too far out of my skill set.

After I joined Fine Woodworking’s staff and spent time with the likes of Michael Fortune, Tim Rousseau, and Peter Galbert, I realized that the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) curves that they were able to manipulate into their pieces weren’t magic. Instead, like with all woodworking, there are a simple set of steps to follow. Follow those steps carefully, and you’re likely to end up with the desired outcome. Some of the more complicated pieces might have a lot of steps, but if you take one at a time, you’ll reach the finish line.

Ben Strano​

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	Modern Desk: Router Templates for Curved Parts Tim Rousseau reveals his secrets for making perfect patterns for routing. Tim Rousseau
	Fir and Cherry Side Table: Laminated Drawer Side Garrett Hack shows how to build a curved drawer side of strong yet flexible ash. Fine Woodworking
	Episode 1: Bending Forms Learn how to build the bending forms that will create the Garden Chair’s curved arms using a bent lamination process. Michael Fortune
	Hot-Pipe Steam-Bending: Furniture Parts Learn how to bend thicker pieces of wood and get multiple parts to uniform shape. Part three of a three-part video series. Michael Fortune
	Build a Curved-Leg Stool Simple bends provide stability and visual flair Peter Galbert