How-To - Page 33 of 257

The initial step in French polishing, called the first polish, is filling the open pores of the wood with shellac, pumice, and good old fashioned elbow grease.

Jason Stephens has been having trees milled for more than a decade. In this article, he shares what to look for, how to dry the boards, and how to avoid pitfalls when having lumber milled.

Finishing expert and woodworker John Coffey gives an introduction to shellac, discussing the different types, how to mix it, and how to apply it to create a long-lasting, beautiful French polish finish.

If you plan to turn chair or table legs, Tim Manney’s shopmade long tool rest allows you to make fluid, full-body motions that yield consistent, smooth, flowing turnings.

Michael Fortune demonstrates one of his favorite outdoor activities, using his sawmill to resaw wide veneers.

Working systematically, Bob Van Dyke demonstrates how to remove mill marks and tearout with a scraper, break sharp edges and corners with a block plane, and sand to an even finish with sandpaper.

Bob Van Dyke demonstrates his process for sharpening a card scraper, including how to create smooth and square edges and faces, and how to draw out and form a burr to create the cutting edge.

Designed for student use at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, this easy-to-build, no-nonsense workbench can stand up to lots of use and abuse.

In this video, Tim Coleman shows some of his early stamped-pattern work made entirely with letters, as well as later patterns made of combinations of altered shapes, especially circles, ovals, and crescents.

A proper Arts and Crafts finish doesn’t come from a single bottle. Instead, it builds up, becoming richer and more complex with each layer. For more on Tom McLaughlin's Arts…